What Causes Gambling Addiction?
Gambling addiction is the compulsive act of gambling without regard for financial, family- or work-related consequences. Gambling addicts may become excessively preoccupied with the act of gambling itself and not necessarily with winning or losing. According to the National Council on Problem Gambling, around 2 million Americans meet the criteria for pathological gambling addiction, and another 5 million qualify as problem gamblers. Several factors contribute to the theoretical causes of this debilitating disease.