Mayo Clinic Health Manager
Get free personalized health guidance for you and your family.
Get StartedDefinition
By Mayo Clinic staffCompulsive gambling is the uncontrollable urge to keep gambling despite the toll it takes on your life. If you're prone to compulsive gambling, you may continually chase bets, may lie or hide your behavior, and may resort to theft or fraud to support your addiction.
Compulsive gambling is a serious condition that can destroy lives. Although treating compulsive gambling can be challenging, many compulsive gamblers have found help through professional treatment.
- Pathologic gambling. In: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders DSM-IV-TR. 4th ed.: American Psychiatric Association;2000. http://www.psychiatryonline.com. Accessed Dec. 1, 2008.
- Questions and answers. Gamblers Anonymous. http://www.gamblersanonymous.org/qna.html. Accessed Dec. 1, 2008.
- Unwin BK, et al. Pathologic gambling. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Dec. 1, 2008.
- About problem gaming: FAQ. National Council on Problem Gaming. http://www.ncpgambling.org/about_problem/about_problem_faq.asp. Accessed Dec 1, 2008.
- Dodd ML, et al. Pathological gambling caused by drugs used to treat Parkinson disease. Archives of Neurology. 2005;62:1377.
- Unwin BK, et al. Pathologic gambling. American Family Physician. 2006;61(3):741.
- Compulsive gambling. Minnesota Department of Human Services. http://www.dhs.state.mn.us/main/idcplg?IdcService=GET_DYNAMIC_CONVERSION&RevisionSelectionMethod=LatestReleased&dDocName=id_008574. Accessed Dec.1, 2008.
- Grant JE. Gender differences in pathological gamblers seeking medication treatment. Comprehensive Psychiatry. 2002;43:56.
- Ibanez A, et al. Genetics of pathological gambling. Journal of Gambling Studies. 2003;19:11.
- Regard M, et al. Brain damage and addictive behavior: A neuropsychological and electroencephalogram investigation with pathologic gamblers. Cognitive and Behavioral Neurology. 2003;16:47.
- Kringelbach ML, et al. The functional neuroanatomy of the human orbitofrontal cortex: Evidence from neuroimaging and neuropsychology. Progress in Neurobiology. 2004;72:341.