Interview: The Making Of A Gambling Addict

The cause of gambling addiction is a mixture of nature and nurture, as well as environmental factors. Some people have a predisposition to addiction, which is caused by their genetic make-up. But gambling can also be inherently addictive, because it produces a high caused by a rush of dopamine to the brain.

Dopamine is usually referred to as a reward chemical, because we get it from things that are genuinely rewarding and help us survive and prosper, like socializing and eating. But dopamine is also a craving chemical. If artificially high amounts are released, as they are during thrilling things like gambling, it makes you want to do more of that activity.

In order to become seriously addicted, gamblers have to have the means to gamble (accessibility in the environment), a genetic predisposition to addiction, and beneath it all, some feeling they want to get rid of (usually low self-esteem), which the buzz of gambling masks.

it’s not just the thought process that is involved – people who become addicted have changed their brain chemistry. They will experience cravings to gamble and these will become particularly strong if they are stressed, bored or upset and want to change how they feel.

An addiction occurs when someone is unable to stop doing something even when they want to quit.
It’s also possible to detect addiction in the brain. In MRI scans, certain areas of the brain light up when gambling addicts are exposed to betting situations, which doesn’t happen with non-addicts. So, it’s also a pathological process, not just a psychological one.

Gambling addicts are likely to be impulsive people who actively seek out thrills and rewards. Science has shown that most addicts’ reward circuitry is genetically underactive, making them vulnerable to addictions, which helps them avoid the feeling of flatness that is the legacy of their brain chemistry.

People can get addicted at any age, but people who start gambling when they are younger are more likely to experience problems. The pre-frontal cortex of the brain, which is involved in impulse control and making sound decisions, is not fully developed until around the age of 25, so risky behavior is more likely in youngsters. People aged 18-25 most often develop problems around gambling. If they continue to gamble, they are likely to develop a full-blown addiction in their 30s or 40s.

Charlie Sheen is the classic addict. He has had problems with addiction to alcohol, drugs and sex and was deeply in denial about all of it for a long time.

Unless he manages to stay on track with his addiction treatment, he could be at risk of cross-addicting to gambling or spending, or even relapsing into his other addictions.

I treated a young man who had lost his flat due to losing so much money gambling. He was forced to move back to his parents’ house. Then, he started stealing from his parents in order to feed his habit. It was a particularly sad case, because I spoke to his parents as well and they were heartbroken both that their son had got into this trap, and that they couldn’t trust him any more. They were on the verge of kicking him out unless he agreed to get help.

Medication can only ever be a sticking plaster in the case of most addictions. Proper psychoeducation and therapy means that someone will be able to develop knowledge, tools, and inner resources to help them stay away from gambling and other addictions in future.

Online gambling is anonymous, so addicted gamblers don’t feel shamefaced about hanging around a bookmakers or casino, or anyone seeing how much they bet or how often.

Casinos are often portrayed as glamorous and luxurious in the media, particularly in films. Poker is often portrayed as a cool thing that clever people can win a lot of money with. These positive representations may attract people to gambling. I don’t think many other forms of betting or gambling are promoted as high-status activities.

People who are addicts often experience cross-addictions because of their brain chemistry. This means that if they give up gambling, they may have to be careful around alcohol, drugs, sugar, caffeine, nicotine and other things that produce an excess of dopamine.