| The American Psychiatric Association notes
that the main feature of pathological gambling is "persistent and recurrent
maladaptive behavior... that disrupts personal, family or vocational pursuits"
(from the APA's DSM-IV, 1994, p. 615). Pathological gamblers
may comprise as much as 1-3% of the adult population of the United States
(APA, 1994, p. 617), although as gambling becomes more available to more
Americans (through legalized gambling, online casinos, etc.), this figure
is likely to rise.
Pathological gambling is more common among people who are the children of parents who had gambling and alcohol problems (APA's DSM-IV, p. 617). Gambling (but not necessarily pathological gambling) is more common among people with sensation seeking personalities, and there is some evidence that sensation seeking is a heritable trait (Zuckerman & Kuhlman, 2000, Journal of Personality). A recent survey of a randomly-selected sample of U.S. telephone users found that no ethnic group in America gambles more than any other (Welte, Barnes, Wieczorek, Tidwell & Parker, 2002, Journal of Gambling Studies). However, among Americans who gamble, African-Americans and Hispanic-Americans are more likely to be pathological gamblers. The same survey found that gambling rates (but not necessarily pathological gambling rates) are highest in the Northeastern U.S. and lowest in the Southern U.S. The APA (2004) estimates that only about one-third of all American pathological gamblers are female, and Welte et al.'s (2002) survey found that among Americans who gamble, men tend to bet in higher amounts than women and are more likely to be problem or pathological gamblers. To examine the diagnostic criteria that the American Psychiatric Association has established for pathological gambling, click here. To take a gambling addiction test that may help you decide whether you should talk to a qualified professional about your gambling habits, click here. |