Is Gambling Addiction?
Gambling is a recreational activity in which someone places a bet on something of value in the hope of winning a prize. The majority of people who gamble do so without a problem, but for a small subset of individuals, gambling can become problematic. Those who develop a gambling disorder, which is defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Fifth Edition) as a recurrent pattern of problem gambling that causes significant distress or impairment, are known as pathological gamblers. Pathological gamblers often report that their behavior has negatively impacted their lives in many ways, including relationships with family and friends, work, education, and health.
While some gamble at casinos and racetracks, gambling can take place in a variety of settings. For example, people can place bets on horse races, sporting events, television programs, and online games. In addition, gambling can be conducted with items that have a value but are not money, such as marbles or collectible game pieces like those found in Magic: The Gathering. Regardless of where or how people gamble, it is important to understand how gambling works in order to protect yourself from problematic behavior.
The reason some gambling is problematic may be related to how the brain responds to risk. The reward circuits in the brain are a key area where differences between people can occur, and these can affect an individual’s ability to control impulses and weigh risks. Individuals who are predisposed to thrill-seeking behaviours and impulsivity have an underactive brain reward system and may experience difficulty with controlling their emotions or assessing their own risk.
Another factor that can contribute to problematic gambling is the cultural context in which an individual’s behaviors are viewed. For example, some cultures prohibit gambling activities that involve a person’s own life or the life of a blood relative. Furthermore, a culture’s attitude toward gambling can influence whether or not a person considers a gambling problem to be a serious issue.
For these reasons, research in the field of gambling is complex and continues to evolve. As a result, there are a wide range of opinions about whether or not gambling is an addictive activity. Some researchers argue that pathological gambling is comparable to substance abuse, and the American Psychiatric Association has referred to it as such in its diagnostic manuals since the 1980s.
Others, however, argue that a distinction between gambling and substance abuse must be made, and that gambling is not an addiction in the same way as drugs or alcohol are. Moreover, they note that the term “addiction” has negative connotations and may cause individuals to avoid seeking help for their gambling problems. In addition, there is a lack of a single nomenclature for the problem, as research scientists, psychiatrists, and other treatment care clinicians tend to frame questions about gambling from different paradigms or world views based on their disciplinary training and specific interests. As a result, the term “disordered gambling” has emerged to describe behaviors that range from those that are potentially progressing toward pathological gambling to those that meet DSM-IV criteria for PG but do not meet the criteria for an official diagnosis.