When depression and other stresses have the potential to trigger a teen or adolescent to have overwhelming urges to gamble, it is time to seek help.
Compulsive gambling often begins in the late teenage years, and progresses through early adulthood as their lives change and become more stressful. Adolescent and Teen GamblingĪdolescents and teens are not immune to developing a gambling problem. Because of this, problem gambling is not defined as an addiction but an impulse control disorder. Gambling is different from many addictions in that it is defined by whether it causes harm to the gambler or others, rather than on the gambler’s behavior. Gambling stimulates the brain’s reward system, similar to the effect of drugs or alcohol addiction, and this can lead to gambling addiction. Compulsive gambling can become a progressively serious issue that has potential to destroy lives.Īccording to the National Gambling Impact Study Commission (NGISC) gambling addiction affects approximately 2-5% of Americans.
Exactly what causes gambling addiction is not clearly defined, but may be the result of a combination of biological and environmental factors. Gambling Addiction or Problem Gambling is defined by the urge to continue gambling despite potentially harmful consequences or a desire to stop.
