Gambling addiction—also known as pathological gambling or gambling disorder—is a serious mental health condition. It is marked by persistent, compulsive involvement with gambling activities that gradually take control of the individual’s life, negatively affecting social relationships, work performance, financial stability, and family functioning.
What Is Gambling Addiction?
People struggling with gambling addiction often:
- Put their career or job at risk
- Accumulate large debts
- Lie to loved ones or engage in illegal activities to obtain money for gambling or to cover gambling-related losses
A key feature of gambling addiction is the strong and uncontrollable urge to gamble. This urge is accompanied by constant preoccupation with gambling thoughts, images, strategies, and fantasies. Symptoms frequently worsen during periods of high stress or emotional difficulty.
WHO Diagnostic Features of Gambling Addiction
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), pathological gambling includes:
- Persistent and repetitive gambling behavior
- Continuing to gamble despite severe negative consequences, such as financial loss, relationship breakdown, or personal instability
Symptoms of Gambling Addiction
For a clinical diagnosis of gambling disorder, five or more of the following symptoms must be present:
- Persistent preoccupation with gambling
- Increasing the amount of money wagered to achieve the same excitement
- Repeated unsuccessful attempts to reduce or stop gambling
- Restlessness or irritability when trying to cut down
- Gambling to escape problems or unpleasant emotions
- Returning to gamble again to win back lost money
- Lying to family or others to hide the extent of gambling
- Jeopardizing or losing a job, career opportunity, or important relationship
- Engaging in illegal acts to obtain money (e.g., fraud, theft, forgery)
- Relying on others for financial support due to gambling-related debts
Clinical Diagnostic Criteria
A diagnosis of gambling addiction typically requires:
- At least two gambling episodes within one year
- Continuation of gambling despite emotional distress and functional impairment
- A strong, difficult-to-control urge to gamble
- Persistent thoughts, urges, fantasies, or planning related to gambling
- Possible coexistence with other mental health issues, such as depression, anxiety, personality disorders, or psychosomatic symptoms (e.g., migraines, hypertension)
Effective Treatment for Gambling Addiction
At Veresies Clinic, we offer a comprehensive, evidence-based therapeutic approach for treating gambling addiction:
1. Psychotherapy
- Individual Therapy – addresses the psychological patterns driving the addiction
- Family Therapy – improves communication, offers support, and reduces conflict
- Group Therapy – provides a safe environment for sharing experiences and learning coping strategies
2. Medication (when needed)
Medication may be recommended for associated symptoms such as:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Insomnia
- Self-destructive or impulsive thoughts
Gambling addiction is treatable. With the right therapeutic support, individuals can regain control over their lives, reduce harmful behaviors, and rebuild emotional and financial stability.