Gambling compared to all behavioural addictions is the one that can cause the most financial damage in the short term. This addiction brings down even the richest person into complete misery.
Gambling addiction in our days is not limited to sports betting, roulette in casinos or slot machines, but the explosion of online betting has made it very accessible to anyone with a phone and applications.
It is only a few clicks away that compulsive gamblers can place bets that could lead to ruin. Unlike substance abuse, where the addict’s consumption is limited by physiology and their body’s ability to cope with a given amount of drinks or drugs, the only limiting factor is a gambler’s potential spending. No matter how rich they may be to begin with, a person can lose everything they own.
Although definitions differ from authority to authority, gambling addiction is generally considered to be an impulse control disorder manifesting itself in a compulsion to gamble (betting on horses, or playing slot machines ….) regardless of the negative consequences of doing so despite sometimes wanting to stop.
To be diagnosed as having a “gambling disorder”, a patient must exhibit certain symptoms over a period of time. Other diagnoses may have conditions that need to be met. Because our understanding of addictive behaviour continues to evolve and because it can manifest itself in very different ways from person to person, many doctors may consider a patient to have a gambling addiction, even if they do not meet such strict criteria. If someone gambles, regardless of the harm to themselves or others, and finds it difficult or impossible to stop, they may need treatment for their condition.
