Problem gambling
repetitive gambling despite demonstrable harm and adverse consequences
Problem gambling (PG), also known as pathological gambling, gambling disorder, gambling addiction, irresponsible gambling, or ludomania, is repetitive gambling behavior despite harm and negative consequences. Problem gambling may be diagnosed as a mental disorder according to the DSM-5 if certain diagnostic criteria are met. Pathological gambling is a common disorder associated with social and family costs.
The DSM-5 has re-classified the condition as an addictive disorder, with those affected exhibiting many similarities to those with substance use disorder. They both activate a reward mechanism in the brain, causing dopamine release to reinforce repetitive behavior. Both often lead to loss of control.
The term gambling addiction has long been used in the recovery movement. Pathological gambling was long considered by the American Psychiatric Association to be an impulse-control disorder rather than an addiction. However, data suggests a closer relationship between pathological gambling and substance use disorders than exists between PG and obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD), mainly because the behaviors in problem gambling and most primary substance use disorders (i.e., those not resulting from a desire to "self-medicate" for another condition such as depression) seek to activate the brain's reward mechanisms, while the behaviors characterizing OCD are prompted by overactive and misplaced signals from the brain's fear mechanisms.
Problem gambling is an addictive behavior with a high comorbidity with alcohol problems.
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Named sources, stable identifiers and responsible institutions provide the strongest route from overview to verifiable evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 1, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q748309. The Library of Congress control number is sh85029466. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 1 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank.
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This entry incorporates text from “Problem gambling” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.