Gambling involves risking something of value – money or possessions – to predict the outcome of a game that has some element of chance. It can be conducted in regulated settings, such as casinos or lottery games, or unregulated ways, such as playing marbles or fantasy sports with friends. Gambling can result in both positive and negative outcomes. When gambling produces a positive outcome, your brain rewards you with dopamine. This helps you learn from the experience and increase your chances of winning next time. However, when your behavior becomes problematic and you start to lose control, the brain’s reward system changes. You begin to seek more sensation and novelty, and you may become less able to stop gambling.
Problem gambling can also affect your family and relationships, leading to marital problems, unemployment, and financial difficulties. It is estimated that one person with a gambling addiction negatively impacts at least seven other people. Many people with a problem gamble secretly or hide their gambling, and others lie about how much they spend. Some people may try to overcome their addiction by attending counseling or support groups for problem gambling. Others might need inpatient or residential treatment.
The research on pathological gambling has improved over the past two decades, and its clinical description has been influenced by the evolution of our understanding of addictive behaviors, including a change in the DSM nomenclature from “abuse” to “dependence.” However, there is still a great deal more that needs to be learned about how people develop and maintain gambling problems, such as how they differ from non-problem gamblers, how young people can be exposed to gambling activities, and how gambling affects other aspects of their lives.