Gambling Addiction: Signs, Symptoms, And Treatment

Gambling disorder, which is the clinical term for gambling addiction, is the only behavioral addiction currently recognized in the DSM-5. It shares many characteristics with substance use disorder, including compulsive behavior, loss of control, and continued engagement despite serious negative consequences.

Understanding the signs of gambling disorder, what drives it, and what treatment looks like is the first step toward getting help.

What Is Gambling Disorder?

Gambling disorder is a behavioral addiction characterized by a persistent and recurrent pattern of gambling that causes significant distress or impairment. It’s classified on a spectrum of mild, moderate, and severe based on the number of clinical criteria a person meets within a 12-month period.

Unlike casual gambling, gambling disorder involves a loss of control over gambling behavior. People experiencing gambling disorder often feel unable to stop even when they want to, and may continue gambling despite mounting financial, legal, or personal consequences.

Gambling disorder is sometimes referred to as:

• compulsive gambling
• pathological gambling
• problem gambling

All of these terms describe the same pattern of behavior. They represent that someone’s gambling has crossed from a recreational activity into a compulsive habit that disrupts a person’s life.

How Common Is Gambling Disorder?

Gambling disorder is more prevalent than many people realize, and its reach has only grown with the legalization of sports betting and the rise of online gambling platforms.

Current data on gambling disorder in the United States:

• An estimated 2.5 million adults meet the criteria for gambling disorder, with another 5 to 8 million showing some level of problematic gambling behavior.
• Online gambling participation rose from 15% of adults in 2018 to 22% in 2024, and is closely associated with gambling-related risk.
• Total sports wagers in the U.S. grew from $4.9 billion in 2017 to $121.1 billion in 2023, with 94% of wagers placed online.
• Only 39% of Americans view gambling addiction as “very serious,” compared to 62% for drug addiction and 55% for alcoholism. This perception gap contributes to underdiagnosis and undertreatment.

Signs Of Gambling Disorder

Not everyone who gambles has a problem. Gambling disorder isn’t identified by how often a person gambles, but by whether gambling has become compulsive and is causing harm.

Common signs of gambling disorder include:

• feeling a strong urge or craving to gamble
• needing to gamble with increasing amounts of money to feel the same excitement
• repeated unsuccessful attempts to cut back or stop gambling
• feeling restless or irritable when trying to reduce gambling
• gambling to escape stress, anxiety, depression, or other difficult emotions
• lying to family members, friends, or a therapist about the extent of gambling
• chasing losses (i.e., returning to gambling after losing money in an attempt to win it back)
• jeopardizing a relationship, job, or educational opportunity because of gambling
• relying on others to provide money to relieve financial problems caused by gambling
• spending the majority of time thinking about gambling, planning the next session, or finding ways to get money to gamble

The hallmark of any addiction is continuing to engage in a behavior despite negative consequences and feeling unable to control it. If gambling feels impossible to stop, even when it is causing real harm, that’s a sign that you may need professional support.

What Causes Gambling Disorder?

Gambling disorder does not have a single cause. Research suggests it develops through a combination of biological, psychological, and environmental factors.

Brain Chemistry And Reward Pathways

Gambling activates the brain’s reward system in ways similar to substances like alcohol or cocaine. It triggers the release of dopamine and reinforces the desire to repeat the behavior.

Over time, the brain can become less sensitive to this reward, driving a person to gamble more frequently or with higher stakes to achieve the same effect.

Psychological Factors

Many people develop gambling disorder as a way to cope with stress, loneliness, depression, or anxiety. Gambling can provide temporary relief from difficult emotions. Over time, this can become compulsive.

Genetic And Family History

People with a family history of gambling disorder or other addictive behaviors are at higher risk. Impulsivity — a trait with strong genetic components — is one of the most consistent predictors of gambling disorder across research.

Environmental Factors

Easy access to gambling, early exposure, and social environments where gambling is normalized all increase risk. The rapid expansion of legalized sports betting. from one state in 2017 to 38 states by 2024, has greatly increased access, especially via mobile apps.

Who Is At Risk Of Developing Gambling Disorder?

Gambling disorder can affect anyone. However, research has identified several groups at elevated risk.

Risk factors for gambling disorder include:

• being male; men develop gambling disorder at approximately twice the rate of women, though the gender gap is narrowing
• being a young adult; people in their early 20s are among the fastest-growing groups of gamblers
• having a co-occurring mental health condition such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, or ADHD
• having a personal or family history of substance use disorder
• high impulsivity or difficulty with delayed gratification
• early exposure to gambling
• financial stress or social isolation

Gambling Disorder And Co-Occurring Conditions

Gambling disorder rarely occurs in isolation. Research consistently shows high rates of co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders among people with gambling disorder.

Co-occurring conditions commonly associated with gambling disorder include:

• depression (nearly 75% of people with gambling disorder also experience depression)
• anxiety disorders
• alcohol use disorder
• other substance use disorders
• bipolar disorder
• ADHD
• PTSD (between 12.5% and 29% of people with gambling disorder experience PTSD symptoms)
• personality disorders

The relationship between gambling disorder and these conditions is often bidirectional, which means that each can worsen the other. People may gamble to cope with depression or anxiety, while the financial and social consequences of gambling disorder can intensify both. Effective treatment addresses all co-occurring conditions at once, rather than one at a time.

Financial And Legal Consequences Of Gambling Disorder

The consequences of gambling disorder extend well beyond the gambling itself, with financial harm being one of the most significant and lasting effects.

Financial and legal consequences of gambling disorder can include:

• depleted savings and retirement accounts
• significant credit card debt and loan default
• bankruptcy
• damaged credit affecting housing and employment
• legal problems (e.g., fraud, theft, or embezzlement) to fund gambling
• job loss due to time spent gambling or related performance issues
• relationship breakdown and family instability

Recovery from gambling disorder often requires financial counseling alongside behavioral treatment. The National Foundation for Credit Counseling can connect people with nonprofit credit counselors experienced in gambling-related debt.

Treatment For Gambling Disorder

Gambling disorder is treatable. With the right support, recovery is possible. Many people go on to live stable, fulfilling lives free from compulsive gambling.

Here are some of the most common forms of treatment:

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
• motivational interviewing
• medication
• support groups
• dual diagnosis treatment
• self-exclusion programs

Find Help For Gambling Disorder Today

Gambling disorder is a recognized, treatable condition. It’s not a moral failing or a lack of willpower. With the right support, recovery is possible.

Browse our directory to find gambling disorder and dual diagnosis treatment programs near you, or contact SAMHSA for more help to find the right program for you or a loved one.

Written by the Addiction Resource Editorial Staff