Amid growing concerns about the impact of increased legalized online sports gambling, the American Psychiatric Association has issued an updated guide on gambling disorder.
The guide provides expert guidance based on current research and provides information on the etiology, psychopathology, neurobiology, and treatment of the disorder.
“For doctors who might think of gambling as either innocuous behavior or simply equivalent to, say, an alcohol problem, this guide not only shows the complexity and seriousness of gambling disorder but also evidence-based treatments that may help people actually get better,” the guide’s coeditor, Jon E. Grant, MD, MPH, JD, professor of psychiatry at the University of Chicago, said in an interview.
Online sports betting is booming. “It has really taken off” in recent years and is now a multibillion dollar industry worldwide, Dr. Grant added.
A recent CBS News report highlights a record volume of legally placed online sports bets during the first week of this year’s NFL season. All told, 26 states now have legalized sports betting.
said Dr. Grant. “They realized they could stay home, stay safe, and still gamble, so there was an uptick in that movement.”
However, the popularity of online gambling is also a sign of the times. “A whole generation of young adults have been raised on the Internet. A lot of companies realize this is not a market that would ever go to a land-based casino, so they essentially took their product to the young people,” said Dr. Grant.
Gambling meets technology
In addition to football, online gamblers can bet on other sports, including horse racing, or participate in “fantasy” sports where users assemble virtual teams of stand-ins for real professional players. There are also online casinos where users can play such things as blackjack and roulette.
The new guide devotes a chapter to online gambling and the complex interplay between gambling and technology. It highlights the growth of interactive platforms, the role of new player experiences and reward structures, and the integration into other online activities, such as social media.
Other chapters explore the interface between gambling and the legal system and differences in gender and between age groups.
There is also information on advances in treatments. Although there are no Food and Drug Administration–approved drugs for gambling disorder, new evidence supports the use of certain agents for this disorder, said Dr. Grant.
These include naltrexone, which has long been used for alcohol and drug addiction, and over-the-counter N-acetylcysteine (NAC), an amino acid that affects the reward system in the brain and has been used for cocaine and marijuana addiction.
Research also suggests that brief-format cognitive-behavioral therapy may be effective for gambling disorder, said Dr. Grant.
An estimated 1% of the population has such a disorder, which involves repeated, problem gambling with sufferers struggling to control their gambling behavior. Gambling disorder is associated with decreased self-esteem, comorbid substance abuse disorders, financial and legal difficulties, relationship and family stress, and suicidality.