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Questions · Gambling addiction

What is gambling addiction? Symptoms, causes and treatment

Short answer

Gambling addiction, or gambling disorder, is an addiction recognised by medicine: gambling persistently even though it is harming you. Its signs are gambling more and more, chasing losses, lying about it and being unable to stop. It is treatable, and psychological therapy is the option with the strongest evidence.

What it is

Gambling addiction, also called pathological or compulsive gambling or gambling disorder, is an addiction without a substance. People who have it keep gambling even though it harms them, and cannot stop even when they want to. Gambling stops being entertainment and moves to the centre: money, time, thoughts.

According to Spain’s 2024 EDADES survey, around 1.4% of people aged 15 to 64 in Spain show possible problem gambling: 2.2% of men and 0.7% of women.

Symptoms

Doctors diagnose the disorder when at least four of these nine signs are present over a year:

  1. Needing to gamble with more and more money to feel the same excitement.
  2. Feeling restless or irritable when trying to cut down or stop.
  3. Having tried to control or stop it several times, without success.
  4. Thinking about gambling often: reliving bets, planning the next one, working out how to get money.
  5. Gambling when feeling bad: anxious, sad or guilty.
  6. Going back another day to win back losses.
  7. Lying to hide how much you gamble.
  8. Having put at risk or lost a relationship, a job or studies because of gambling.
  9. Relying on others to get out of money trouble caused by gambling.

Four or five is considered mild; six or seven, moderate; eight or nine, severe. If you recognise several, the gambling addiction test takes two minutes.

Why it hooks

Gambling is designed to hook. Prizes arrive unpredictably, the pattern that reinforces a behaviour most strongly. Near-misses light up the brain almost like a real win. And losing pushes people to play more to win it back. Online betting adds the rest: available at any hour, on your phone, with bonuses and constant advertising. We explain it step by step in why it hooks.

Some people are more vulnerable: young people, those who start gambling early, people with other addictions, anxiety or depression, and anyone going through a very stressful time.

Treatment

Gambling addiction is treatable. Cognitive behavioural therapy has the strongest evidence: it helps identify risky situations, take apart mistaken beliefs about chance and learn to handle urges. Support groups also help, both the person and their family.

Your doctor can refer you to addiction services, and gambling helplines give free advice. To start now, the first steps are in How to stop gambling: what to do if you think you are addicted And if it is someone close to you, read How can you help a partner or relative with a gambling problem?

Related questions

Is gambling addiction an illness?

Yes. It is recognised as a mental disorder in both classifications doctors use: DSM-5, which calls it gambling disorder, and the World Health Organization’s ICD-11. It is not a vice or a lack of willpower.

What is the difference between gambling a lot and being addicted?

It is not the amount but control and consequences. What defines gambling addiction is carrying on despite money, relationship, work or health problems, and not managing to stop when you try.

Can gambling addiction be cured?

People recover, and many do. Psychological therapy, especially cognitive behavioural therapy, has good evidence. Relapses are common along the way and do not mean failure: they are part of the process.

Are there withdrawal symptoms?

Yes. When trying to cut down or stop, people often feel restless, irritable, sleep badly and think about gambling constantly. It is one of the diagnostic criteria.

Is there medication for gambling addiction?

No drug is approved specifically for it. Some, such as naltrexone, have been studied with promising results, but the main treatment is psychological. Any medication should be assessed by a doctor.