Abstract
The phenomena of drug addictions are examined to determine whether the notion of addiction can be extended to the repeated ingestion of nonessential substances which are not drugs or to activities which are engaged in excessively. It is concluded that in neither case can the category of drug addiction be extended to include these other activities without losing the essential meaning ofdrug addiction. A new category of psychological addictions is defined as “a persistent behavioral pattern characterized by: a desire or need to continue the activity which places it outside voluntary control; a tendency to increase the frequency or amount of the activity over time; psychological dependence on the pleasurable effects of the activity; and, a detrimental effect on the individual and society.” While the heavy gambling of some gamblers may under certain circumstances meet these criteria, it is not clear whether the group selected by the criteria is the same or similar to the group diagnosed as pathological or compulsive gamblers. Furthermore, it is not clear that the activity of gambling involves psychological dependency — one of the listed criteria. Finally, if other prospective criteria, such as a withdrawal syndrome on cessation of gambling, are added, the numbers of problem gamblers who can be described as psychologically addicted will decrease further. Given that excessive gambling can be included as an example of a psychological addiction, it is concluded that not one of the general theories of addiction examined accurately describes excessive gambling as it is portrayed by empirical research.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
American Psychiatric Association (1980).Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (3rd edition. Washington: American Psychiatric Association.
Bergler, E. (1970).The psychology of gambling. London: International University Press.
Blaszczynski, A.P., Buhrich, N., & McConaghy, N. (1986). Pathological gamblers, heroin addicts and controls compared on the E.P.Q. ‘Addiction Scale’.British Journal of Addiction, 80 315–319.
Blaszczynski, A.P., Winter, S.W., & McConaghy, N. (1986). Plasma endorphin levels in pathological gambling.Journal of Gambling Behavior, 2 3–14.
Blum, K., Hamilton, M.G., & Hirsch, M. (1978). Putative role of isoquinoline alkaloids in alcoholism: A link to opiates.Alcoholism of Clinical and Experimental Research, 2 113–120.
Burns, F. (1987, August).The compulsive gambling debate in Australia: Myth or fact. Paper delivered at the Seventh International Conference on Gambling and Risk Taking. Reno.
Carnes, P. (1983).The sexual addiction. Minneapolis: CompCare.
Church, R.M., LoLordo, V., Overmier, J.B., Solomon, R.L. & Turner, L.H. (1966). Cardiac responses to shock in curarized dogs: Effects of shock intensity and duration, warning signal, and prior experience with shock.Journal of Comparative and Physiological Psychology, 62 1–7.
Cummings, N.A. (1979). Turning bread into stones: Our modern antimiracle.American Psychologist, 34 1119–1129.
Davis, V.E., & Walsh, M.J. (1970). Alcohol, amines and alkaloids: A possible basis for alcohol addiction.Science, 167 1005–1007.
Davison, G.C., & Neale, J.M. (1974).Abnormal psychology: An experimental clinical approach. New York: John Wiley & Sons.
Dickerson, M. (1985). The characteristics of the compulsive gambler: A rejection of typology. In G. Caldwell, B. Haig, M. Dickerson and L. Sylvan (Eds.),Gambling in Australia. Sydney: Croom Helm.
Dickerson, M. (1988, July),Criteria for excessive gambling. Paper given at the conference, 200-Up, the Third Conference of the National Association for Gambling Studies, Canberra, Australia.
Dickerson, M., Fabre, J., & Bayliss, D. (1986). A comparison of TAB customers and poker machine players. In J. McMillen (Ed.),Gambling in the 80's. Brisbane: NAGS.
Gossop, M.R., & Eysenck, S.B.G. (1980). A further investigation into the personality of drug addicts in treatment.British Journal of Addiction, 75 305–311.
Freud, S. (1928). Dostoevsky and parricide. In J. Halliday and P. Fuller (Eds.),The Psychology of gambling. London: Harper & Row, 1974.
Fuller, N.P., Taber, J.I., & Wittman, G.W. (1987). On the irrelevance of substances in defining addictive disorders. In W.R. Eadington (Ed.),Gambling research: Proceedings of the seventh international conference on gambling and risk taking, vol. 5. Nevada: University of Nevada-Reno.
Fuller, P. (1974). Introduction. In J. Halliday and P. Fuller (Eds).,The psychology of gambling. London: Harper & Row.
Jacobs, D. (1986). A general theory of addictions: A new theoretical model.Journal of Gambling Behavior, 2 15–31.
Halliday, J., & Fuller, P. (1974).The psychology of gambling. London: Harper & Row.
Lacey, J.H., & Evans, C.D.H. (1986). The impulsivist: A multi-impulsive personality disorder.British Journal of Addiction, 81 641–649.
Lesieur, H.R. (1979). The compulsive gambler's spiral of options and involvement.Psychiatry, 42 79–87.
Lesieur, H.R., & Custer, R.L. (1984). Pathological gambling: Roots, phases, and treatment.Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 474 146–156.
Livingston, J. (1974). Compulsive gamblers: A culture of losers.Psychology Today, 7 51–55.
Lorenz, V.C., & Shuttlesworth, D.E. (1983). The impact of pathological gambling on the spouse of the gambler.Journal of Community Psychology, 11 67–76.
Maze, J. (1987). Lady Luck is gambler's mother. In M.B. Walker (Ed.),Faces of Gambling. Sydney: NAGS.
Milkman, H., & Sunderwirth, S. (1982). Addictive processes.Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 14 177–192.
Oldman, D.J. (1978). Compulsive gamblers.Sociological Review, 26 349–371.
Orford, J. (1978). Hypersexuality: Implications for a theory of dependence.British Journal of Addiction, 73 299–310.
Peele, S. (1977). Redefining addiction I: Making addiction a scientifically and socially useful concept.International Journal of Health Services, 7 103–124.
Peele, S. (1979). Redefining addiction II: The meaning of addiction in our lives.Journal of Psychodelic Drugs, 11 289–297.
Peele, S. (1985). How can addiction occur with other than drug involvement?British Journal of Addiction, 80 23–25.
Peele, S., & Brodsky, A. (1977).Love and addiction. New York: Taplinger.
Rankin, H. (1982). Control rather than abstinence as the goal in the treatment of excessive gambling.Behaviour, Research and Therapy, 20 185–187.
Rosecrance, J. (1987). Attribution and the origins of problem gambling. In M.B. Walker (Ed.).Faces of gambling Sydney: NAGS.
Sartin, H.G. (1988). Win therapy: An alternative diagnostic and treatment procedure for problem gambling. In W.R. Eadington (Ed.),Gambling research: Proceedings of the seventh international conference on gambling and risk taking, Vol. 5 (pp. 365–391). Reno: University of Nevada-Reno.
Shubin, S. (1977). The compulsive gambler.Today in Psychiatry, 3 1–3.
Solomon, R.L. (1980). The opponent-process theory of acquired motivation.American Psychologist, 35 691–712.
Solomon, R.L., & Corbit, J.D. (1974). An opponent-process theory of motivation.Psychological Review, 81 119–145.
Syme, D. (1987). Furtive dollars — the avid punter's family relationship: An exploratory New Zealand study. In M.B. Walker (Ed.),Faces of gambling. Sydney: NAGS.
Ullmann, L.P., & Krasner, L. (1975).A psychological approach to abnormal behavior. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall.
Walker, M.B. (1985). Explanations for gambling. In G. Caldwell, B. Haig, M. Dickerson and L. Sylvan (Eds.),Gambling in Australia. Sydney: Croom Helm.
Walker, M.B. (1986). An analysis of heavy gambling as an addiction. In J. McMillen (Ed.),Gambling in the 80's. Brisbane: NAGS.
Walker, M.B. (1987, August).A comparison of gambling in TAB shops and clubs. Paper delivered at the Seventh International Conference on Gambling and Risk Taking, Reno, Nevada.
Weule, B. (1987). Financial counseling — an important strategy in treating gambling addiction. In M.B. Walker (Ed.),Faces of gambling Sydney: NAGS.
Wikler, A. (1973). Dynamics of drug dependence: Implications of a conditioning theory for research and treatment. In S. Fisher and A.M. Friedman (Eds.),Opiate addiction: Origins and treatment. New York: Winston & Sons.
Wray, I., & Dickerson, M.G. (1981). Cessation of high frequency gambling and ‘withdrawal’ symptoms.British Journal of Addiction, 76 401–405.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Walker, M.B. Some problems with the concept of “gambling addiction”: Should theories of addiction be generalized to include excessive gambling?. J Gambling Stud 5, 179–200 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01024386
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01024386