Gambling addiction is a psychiatric disorder often accompanied by severe consequences that negatively impact the gambler causing disruption to their life and the lives of their loved ones. Providers at the Gambling Addiction Treatment Center of Las Vegas have over 20 years successfully working with clients to help them identify risk factors for problem gambling and implementing evidence-based strategies to help them overcome gambling addiction. Contact us for a free assessment.
Approximately 2.5 million adults (1%) in the US are estimated to have a severe gambling problem each year with another 5 to 8 million (2-3%) experiencing a mild to moderate gambling problem. In Nevada, it is estimated that nearly 6% of adults have a gambling problem - that's twice the national average.
Gambling involves risking something of value with the hope of getting something of greater value on an event where the outcome is uncertain. Gambling addiction is the uncontrollable urge to continue gambling despite negative consequences that disrupt a person's life.
Gambling can be addictive for several reasons. The anticipation of reward and the frequency in which rewards are given during gambling activates neurochemistry that stimulates the brain's pleasure-reward pathways much like drugs or alcohol can. Over time, these patterns, combined with other factors, can lead a person to become addicted to gambling.
Throughout this site the term gambling addiction, pathological gambling, problem gambling, or compulsive gambling are used to describe patterns of uncontrollable gambling leading to negative consequences. The American Psychiatric Association uses the term "gambling disorder" as a formal diagnostic label when an individual experiences four of nine symptoms associated with the disorder. In simple terms, gambling addiction, problem gambling, pathological gambling, compulsive gambling, and gambling disorder all refer to varying degrees of the same issue, namely a gambling problem.