U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Format

Send to:

Choose Destination

Pathological gambling

MedGen UID:
14632
•Concept ID:
C0030662
•
Mental or Behavioral Dysfunction
Synonyms: Addictive gambling behavior; Gambling, pathologic
SNOMED CT: Pathological gambling disorder (18085000); Gambling disorder (18085000); Compulsive gambling (18085000)
 
HPO: HP:5200334
Monarch Initiative: MONDO:0011662
OMIM®: 606349

Definition

Pathologic gambling is defined as a chronic and progressive failure to resist impulses to gamble accompanied by gambling behavior that compromises or damages personal, family, or vocational pursuits. The prevalence of pathologic gambling in the adult American population is estimated to be between 1 and 3% (review by Eisen et al., 1998). Comings et al. (2001) noted that some form of gambling is legal in all but 2 states in the U.S., and gambling on the Internet is available to anyone with a computer regardless of the local laws. They stated that as access to gambling has increased, there has been a corresponding increase in the frequency of addiction to gambling, known as pathologic gambling. [from OMIM]

Term Hierarchy

CClinical test,  RResearch test,  OOMIM,  GGeneReviews,  VClinVar  
  • CROGVPathological gambling

Professional guidelines

PubMed

Naltrexone: A Pan-Addiction Treatment?
Aboujaoude E, Salame WO
CNS Drugs 2016 Aug;30(8):719-33. doi: 10.1007/s40263-016-0373-0. PMID: 27401883
Gambling in Singapore: an overview of history, research, treatment and policy.
Winslow M, Cheok C, Subramaniam M
Addiction 2015 Sep;110(9):1383-7. Epub 2015 May 6 doi: 10.1111/add.12931. PMID: 25944124
Treatment of pathological gambling.
Leung KS, Cottler LB
Curr Opin Psychiatry 2009 Jan;22(1):69-74. doi: 10.1097/YCO.0b013e32831575d9. PMID: 19122538

Recent clinical studies

Etiology

Risk Factors for Gambling Disorder: A Systematic Review.
Moreira D, Azeredo A, Dias P
J Gambl Stud 2023 Jun;39(2):483-511. Epub 2023 Mar 8 doi: 10.1007/s10899-023-10195-1. PMID: 36884150Free PMC Article
Sex differences in addictive disorders.
Fattore L, Melis M, Fadda P, Fratta W
Front Neuroendocrinol 2014 Aug;35(3):272-84. Epub 2014 Apr 21 doi: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2014.04.003. PMID: 24769267
Pharmacological treatments in pathological gambling.
Grant JE, Odlaug BL, Schreiber LR
Br J Clin Pharmacol 2014 Feb;77(2):375-81. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2125.2012.04457.x. PMID: 22979951Free PMC Article
Pathological gambling: a general overview.
Ashley LL, Boehlke KK
J Psychoactive Drugs 2012 Jan-Mar;44(1):27-37. doi: 10.1080/02791072.2012.662078. PMID: 22641963
A pathways model of problem and pathological gambling.
Blaszczynski A, Nower L
Addiction 2002 May;97(5):487-99. doi: 10.1046/j.1360-0443.2002.00015.x. PMID: 12033650

Diagnosis

Risk Factors for Gambling Disorder: A Systematic Review.
Moreira D, Azeredo A, Dias P
J Gambl Stud 2023 Jun;39(2):483-511. Epub 2023 Mar 8 doi: 10.1007/s10899-023-10195-1. PMID: 36884150Free PMC Article
Definition of Substance and Non-substance Addiction.
Zou Z, Wang H, d'Oleire Uquillas F, Wang X, Ding J, Chen H
Adv Exp Med Biol 2017;1010:21-41. doi: 10.1007/978-981-10-5562-1_2. PMID: 29098666
Behavioral addictions.
Robbins TW, Clark L
Curr Opin Neurobiol 2015 Feb;30:66-72. Epub 2014 Sep 26 doi: 10.1016/j.conb.2014.09.005. PMID: 25262209
Neurobiology of gambling behaviors.
Potenza MN
Curr Opin Neurobiol 2013 Aug;23(4):660-7. Epub 2013 Mar 29 doi: 10.1016/j.conb.2013.03.004. PMID: 23541597Free PMC Article
Pathological gambling.
Potenza MN, Kosten TR, Rounsaville BJ
JAMA 2001 Jul 11;286(2):141-4. doi: 10.1001/jama.286.2.141. PMID: 11448261

Therapy

Naltrexone: A Pan-Addiction Treatment?
Aboujaoude E, Salame WO
CNS Drugs 2016 Aug;30(8):719-33. doi: 10.1007/s40263-016-0373-0. PMID: 27401883
Pharmacological treatments in pathological gambling.
Grant JE, Odlaug BL, Schreiber LR
Br J Clin Pharmacol 2014 Feb;77(2):375-81. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2125.2012.04457.x. PMID: 22979951Free PMC Article
The Movement Disorder Society Evidence-Based Medicine Review Update: Treatments for the non-motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease.
Seppi K, Weintraub D, Coelho M, Perez-Lloret S, Fox SH, Katzenschlager R, Hametner EM, Poewe W, Rascol O, Goetz CG, Sampaio C
Mov Disord 2011 Oct;26 Suppl 3(0 3):S42-80. doi: 10.1002/mds.23884. PMID: 22021174Free PMC Article
Pathological gambling.
Hollander E, Buchalter AJ, DeCaria CM
Psychiatr Clin North Am 2000 Sep;23(3):629-42. doi: 10.1016/s0193-953x(05)70185-4. PMID: 10986732
Impulsivity.
Hollander E, Rosen J
J Psychopharmacol 2000;14(2 Suppl 1):S39-44. doi: 10.1177/02698811000142S106. PMID: 10888030

Prognosis

Biochemical Diagnosis in Substance and Non-substance Addiction.
Shen W, Liu H, Xie X, Liu H, Zhou W
Adv Exp Med Biol 2017;1010:169-202. doi: 10.1007/978-981-10-5562-1_9. PMID: 29098673
Similarities and Differences in Diagnostic Scales.
Xuan B, Li P, Yang L, Li M, Zhou J
Adv Exp Med Biol 2017;1010:133-168. doi: 10.1007/978-981-10-5562-1_8. PMID: 29098672
Similarities and Differences in Neuroimaging.
Sun YK, Sun Y, Lin X, Lu L, Shi J
Adv Exp Med Biol 2017;1010:73-89. doi: 10.1007/978-981-10-5562-1_5. PMID: 29098669
Pathological gambling: a general overview.
Ashley LL, Boehlke KK
J Psychoactive Drugs 2012 Jan-Mar;44(1):27-37. doi: 10.1080/02791072.2012.662078. PMID: 22641963
Gambling disorders.
Hodgins DC, Stea JN, Grant JE
Lancet 2011 Nov 26;378(9806):1874-84. Epub 2011 May 18 doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(10)62185-X. PMID: 21600645

Clinical prediction guides

Biochemical Diagnosis in Substance and Non-substance Addiction.
Shen W, Liu H, Xie X, Liu H, Zhou W
Adv Exp Med Biol 2017;1010:169-202. doi: 10.1007/978-981-10-5562-1_9. PMID: 29098673
Similarities and Differences in Diagnostic Scales.
Xuan B, Li P, Yang L, Li M, Zhou J
Adv Exp Med Biol 2017;1010:133-168. doi: 10.1007/978-981-10-5562-1_8. PMID: 29098672
Similarities and Differences in Neuroimaging.
Sun YK, Sun Y, Lin X, Lu L, Shi J
Adv Exp Med Biol 2017;1010:73-89. doi: 10.1007/978-981-10-5562-1_5. PMID: 29098669
Pathological gambling in Parkinson's disease: what are the risk factors and what is the role of impulsivity?
Heiden P, Heinz A, Romanczuk-Seiferth N
Eur J Neurosci 2017 Jan;45(1):67-72. Epub 2016 Oct 1 doi: 10.1111/ejn.13396. PMID: 27623191Free PMC Article
Genetics of pathological gambling.
Ibáñez A, Blanco C, Perez de Castro I, Fernandez-Piqueras J, Sáiz-Ruiz J
J Gambl Stud 2003 Spring;19(1):11-22. doi: 10.1023/a:1021271029163. PMID: 12635538

Recent systematic reviews

Psychological intervention for gambling disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Eriksen JW, Fiskaali A, Zachariae R, Wellnitz KB, Oernboel E, Stenbro AW, Marcussen T, Petersen MW
J Behav Addict 2023 Oct 5;12(3):613-630. Epub 2023 Jul 14 doi: 10.1556/2006.2023.00034. PMID: 37450372Free PMC Article
Risk Factors for Gambling Disorder: A Systematic Review.
Moreira D, Azeredo A, Dias P
J Gambl Stud 2023 Jun;39(2):483-511. Epub 2023 Mar 8 doi: 10.1007/s10899-023-10195-1. PMID: 36884150Free PMC Article
Pathological Gambling and Motor Impulsivity: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis.
Chowdhury NS, Livesey EJ, Blaszczynski A, Harris JA
J Gambl Stud 2017 Dec;33(4):1213-1239. doi: 10.1007/s10899-017-9683-5. PMID: 28255940
Internet addiction: a systematic review of epidemiological research for the last decade.
Kuss DJ, Griffiths MD, Karila L, Billieux J
Curr Pharm Des 2014;20(25):4026-52. doi: 10.2174/13816128113199990617. PMID: 24001297
The genetics of problem and pathological gambling: a systematic review.
Gyollai A, Griffiths MD, Barta C, Vereczkei A, Urbán R, Kun B, Kökönyei G, Székely A, Sasvári-Székely M, Blum K, Demetrovics Z
Curr Pharm Des 2014;20(25):3993-9. doi: 10.2174/13816128113199990626. PMID: 24001288

Supplemental Content

Table of contents

    Clinical resources

    Practice guidelines

    • PubMed
      See practice and clinical guidelines in PubMed. The search results may include broader topics and may not capture all published guidelines. See the FAQ for details.
    • Bookshelf
      See practice and clinical guidelines in NCBI Bookshelf. The search results may include broader topics and may not capture all published guidelines. See the FAQ for details.

    Consumer resources

    Reviews

    Related information

    • MeSH
      Related Medical Subject Headings
    • OMIM
      Related records in OMIM
    • PMC Articles
      Related information in PubMed Central Links
    • PubMed
      Related literature resources in PubMed
    • PubMed (OMIM)
      Related literature resources in PubMed

    Recent activity

    Clear Turn Off Turn On

    Your browsing activity is empty.

    Activity recording is turned off.

    Turn recording back on

    See more...