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Problem gambling occurs when the gambling interferes with a person’s usual activities and responsibilities and may have a negative impact on personal relationships, financial status, school or work performance and physical or mental health. A problem gambler can be any age, gender, ethnicity, religion or socio-economic status.

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General Information

About Gambling
In the early years of problem gambling research, three phases of a gambling problem were identified. These phases: winning, losing and desperation, accurately depicted the feelings and actions faced by a problem gambler. Through continued research within the problem gambling field, an additional phase, hopelessness, was added. This phase helped further explain the addiction. When reviewing the characteristics of each phase, it is important to keep in mind that every problem gambler is different. The duration and intensity of each phase will be different for each person.

Winning Phase:
During this phase, the gambling is looked at as a fun and entertaining activity. The gambling may begin to increase, but is not interfering with the individual's responsibilities. A "big win" or series of smaller wins may contribute to a person's optimism and belief that they are a talented gambler or have "something special" that other gamblers do not.

Losing Phase:
In this phase, the gambling frequency increases and begins to replace other activities. The amount wagered begins to increase and the gambler is losing more than winning. A preoccupation with the gambling as well as how to finance the gambling begins. The gambler may also begin to hide or down-play the gambling.

Desperation Phase:
The gambler will have significant feelings of depression, anxiety and guilt about the gambling. The gambler may pull away from family and friends or blame them for the gambling losses. It is during this time the gambler may begin to sell personal or family items or steal, given all other monetary resources have been depleted. The gambler may also engage in illegal acts to fund the gambling.

Hopelessness Phase:
Once a problem gambler reaches this phase, there are overwhelming feelings of no escape. A person in this phase experiences such a sense of hopelessness that suicide becomes an option. It is also during this phase that the problem gambler may reach out for or return to treatment.

Modified from R. Custer and R. Rosenthal

Problem Gambling
The term problem gambling refers to participation in any form of gambling to the extent that it creates negative consequences to the gambler, their family, place of employment or community. This includes patterns of gambling and related behaviors that compromise, disrupt, or damage personal, family, educational and/or vocational interests.

	Important Facts:
	The problem gambler may be a person of either gender, of any age and from any social, ethnic and economic group.
	High school and college students have a higher rate of problem gambling than the general adult population.
	An individual who has had a problem with any substance is at a higher risk for developing a gambling problem. The problem gambler is often more difficult to identify than the substance abuser.
	The problem gambler will wager on any form of legal and/or illegal gambling, including the area of business and financial markets.
	People with serious mental/emotional disorders (especially depression) have a higher risk for problem gambling.
	Problem gamblers usually deny they have a problem and wait until the situation is desperate before seeking help. Family members are encouraged to seek assistance for themselves, as well as consultation concerning how to increase the likelihood the problem gambler will seek help.

Pathological Gambling
According to the DSM-IV, pathological gambling is defined as a persistent and recurrent maladaptive gambling behavior. Five or more of the following criteria must be met:

	preoccupation with gambling
	gambles with increasing amounts of money so as to achieve the desired excitement
	repeated unsuccessful efforts to control, cut back or stop the gambling behavior
	restlessness or irritability when attempting to cut down or stop gambling
	gambles as a means to escape from problems or relieve feelings of helplessness, guilt, anxiety, or depression
	"Chases one's losses"
	lies to family/therapist/others to conceal the extent of the gambling
	commits illegal acts such as forgery, fraud, theft, or embezzlement to finance gambling
	jeopardizes or losses a significant relationship, job, or career opportunity because of gambling
	relies on others to provide money to relieve a desperate financial situation.

(DSM-IV, 4th edition, American Psychiatric Institute)

Important Facts:

	Pathological gambling typically begins in early adolescence in males and later in life for females
	Pathological gambling and alcohol dependence are both more common among the parents of individuals with pathological gambling than among the general population.
	Approximately 1/3 of individuals with Pathological Gambling are females.
	Females are underrepresented in treatment programs for gambling and represent only 2-4% of the population of Gamblers Anonymous.
	Limited data currently indicates that the prevalence of pathological gambling may be as high as 1-3% of the general population.
	Of individuals in treatment for Pathological Gambling, 20% are reported to have attempted suicide.