"Degenerate" / "degen" → person with a gambling disorder

Stigma-preferred language

Definition

Betting-culture slang that people often apply to themselves affectionately and that lands very differently in print. It explicitly frames harm as moral decay.

Preferred phrasing

never in your own voice; quote it only when a source says it about themselves.

Source

Primary source for this whole section: https://www.recoveryanswers.org/addiction-ary/ Supporting: https://pttcnetwork.org/non-stigmatizing-language/ · https://www.recoveryanswers.org/research-post/person-first-language-heroin-use-disorder/

Cite this

Betttr. ""Degenerate" / "degen" → person with a gambling disorder." The Gambling Recovery Glossary. https://betttr.net/glossary/degenerate-degen/ (accessed 2026-09-20).

Last updated: 2026-09-20.

Corrections: support@betttr.net