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Gambling, Pathological

Gambling is a common feature of American life as a form of recreation. In addition, it has become an expedient source of revenue for governments and is an attractive entertainment investment for tourism companies. New technologies make gambling even easier to access. Research has demonstrated that the number of gamblers rose throughout the end of the 20th century in the United States.

Due to the prevalence of gambling, many individuals develop a pattern of severe problem gambling called pathological gambling (PG). In 1980, PG was first introduced as a disorder of impulse by the American Psychiatric Association in the third edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Psychiatric Disorder (DSM). The newest edition of this manual, DSM-IV-TR, provides a widely accepted definition of PG as persistent and recurrent maladaptive gambling behavior that disrupts personal, family, or vocational pursuits. According to the National Council on Problem Gambling, approximately, 3 million people or 1% of adults in the United States meet the criteria for PG in a given year.

Demographics of Pathological Gambling

The issue of PG has developed into a public health phenomenon in the United States because it negatively impacts individuals, their families, and society. The most vulnerable groups for the development of PG are men, adolescents, the elderly, minorities, and people in low socioeconomic status groups or with low education levels. However, no demographic group is immune to the development of PG.

Pathological gamblers can be found throughout the general U.S. population. With regard to gender, more males than females are reported to have issues relating to PG. Males tend to be stimulated by the excitement of winning money, whereas females are more likely to engage in gambling to escape problems. Due to new technologies in gaming, adolescents can easily access gambling through the Internet and video games. As a result, this group is increasingly at risk for developing gambling problems because they have not yet developed the capacity to moderate their behaviors. Therefore, as the National Research Council has pointed out, adolescent gamblers are more apt to develop PG than are adult gamblers. Furthermore, the elderly are also at risk to begin gambling and to consequently develop PG. The Gambling Impact and Behavior Study (a large federal study of gambling behavior and attitudes) found that adults from age 50 to 64 were more likely to engage in problem gambling than other age groups. However, it is difficult to identify special gambling behaviors in the elderly because there is so little research on the subject. Other studies have found that ethnic minorities are involved in high rates of gambling and PG. In the Gambling Impact and Behavior Study, African Americans were reported to be more likely to develop PG when compared with Hispanics and Native Americans. Additionally, this study provided evidence that individuals who have a high school education or less and whose income was less than $24,000 presented higher rates of PG.

Risk Factors for Pathological Gambling

Several risk factors that impact the development and maintenance of PG have been identified. For example, genetics is a factor in the development of PG. Studies of families have revealed an incidence of PG of about 20% in first-degree relatives. Access is another risk factor. Along with widespread legislated gambling, individuals are able to access illicit gambling with ease. Using telephone and patron surveys, the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) at the University of Chicago found that the presence of a gambling facility within 50 miles roughly doubled the prevalence of problem and pathological gambling in a community. With regard to adolescents, technological advances have an impact on gambling. Young people, compared to adults, may be more attracted to technologically advanced gambling venues. Furthermore, family and peers have a significant impact on adolescent PG. For example, the severity of fathers' gambling problems is related to adolescent gambling.

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