Science of Gambling

Linking the condition to a specific region of the brain has raised the possibility of targeted drug therapies. The clinic has been involved in treatment trials, including the largest study published to date looking at the use of a drug called Nalmefene to treat pathological gambling.

Nalmefene is thought to act on brain circuits containing the chemical dopamine, which form a key component of the brain's natural reward system. Reducing activity in these brain cells should reduce the natural highs felt when gambling. "The drug was found to be superior to a placebo in terms of reducing gambling-related thoughts and behaviours," says Potenza.

Social factors at play?

Some, however, are less keen to label pathological gambling as a medical disorder. Dr. Scott Vrecko, a sociologist at the London School of Economics (LSE), stresses the importance of other factors: "If there are no casinos or opportunities to gamble in a city, that city is not going to have very many gambling problems. If the proportion of individuals involved in gambling rises, the number of people with gambling problems is going to rise too."

Vrecko is against the 'medicalisation' of different aspects of life and doesn't think that complex social problems like gambling have a strictly biological basis. "I think that we should be wary of moving too far towards primarily medical explanations," he explains.

The appeal of gambling is probably a complex interaction between biological, social and psychological factors. In the wake of the current gambling boom, particularly on the internet, only time will tell whether problem gambling becomes more prevalent, and whether drug treatments will prove a successful solution.

But one thing is for sure - the emotional highs and lows will always be a key part of the attraction of gambling. "I remember the first tournament I won," recalls Ioannou. "I thought I was the best poker player in the world. When we're winning we think we're great, but when we're losing we just can't understand why."

For more information:

University of Salford - Center for the Study of Gambling
http://www.gamblingstudies.salford.ac.uk/

Rochester Institute of Technology - Factors Contributing to the Development of Pathological Gambling
http://www.personalityresearch.org/papers/sinha.html