Compulsive Gambling

Also called: Gambling addiction

Summary

Many people enjoy gambling, whether it's betting on a horse or playing poker on the Internet. Most people who gamble don't have a problem, but some lose control of their gambling. Signs of problem gambling include :

Always thinking about gambling
Lying about gambling
Spending work or family time gambling
Feeling bad after you gamble, but not quitting
Gambling with money you need for other things

If you have concerns about your gambling, ask for help. Your health care provider can work with you to find the treatment that's best for you.

NIH: National Institutes of Health

Learn More

Compulsive Gambling (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Compulsive Gambling (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
Help for Mental Illnesses (National Institute of Mental Health) Also in Spanish
National Institute of Mental Health Also in Spanish
Teen Gambling (American Academy of Pediatrics) Also in Spanish

Clinical Trials

ClinicalTrials.gov: Gambling (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

Find an Expert

FindTreatment.gov (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) Also in Spanish

Topic Image

Disclaimers

MedlinePlus links to health information from the National Institutes of Health and other federal government agencies. MedlinePlus also links to health information from non-government Web sites. See our disclaimer about external links and our quality guidelines.