Gambling involves the risk of losing something of value (considered to be “money”) in a chance event for the opportunity to win something else of value. Although most people participate in gambling as a form of entertainment, a small group develop serious problems that interfere with their lives. These problems may have personal, social, or family consequences. There is considerable consensus that there are psychological components to problem gambling, including impulsiveness and sensation-and novelty-seeking, which influence the decision to gamble. There is also some agreement that the impulsiveness component of gambling is correlated with behavioral disinhibition.

Some of the factors that can increase the risk for gambling problems include a person’s age, gender, and the environment in which they live. Men are more likely to gamble than women, and older adults may have more difficulty controlling their gambling. Children who play video and mobile games that involve micro-transactions and payments may be at a higher risk for developing gambling problems than those who don’t.

There is a wide range of views on what gambling problems are, from behaviors that place individuals at risk for more serious issues (subclinical) to those that meet the criteria in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fourth Edition for pathological gambling. Research scientists, psychiatrists, and other treatment care clinicians often frame gambling issues from different paradigms or world views that reflect their disciplinary training, experience, and special interests. This can make communication difficult.