9
life. “The concept that problem gambling is not a moral defect
but instead a disorder is relatively new,” says Howard J. Shaffer,
a professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. “Most ex-
perts and clinicians now consider gambling addiction as a legiti-
mate biological, cognitive, and behavioral
disorder.”
5
As Shaffer notes, gambling ex-
cessively can also lead to other problems.
Iacopino’s story shows just how serious
these problems can be for a longtime gam-
bling addict.
Gambling is a pastime that goes back
centuries. A person who gambles risks
something of value—usually money, but
other assets as well—in the hopes of getting
back something of even greater value. Some
games of chance involve skill and strategy,
such as playing poker or blackjack. But many
types of gambling are based entirely on luck. Addicted gamblers—
whether casino regulars, card players, horse race bettors, or even
online stock traders—all crave the excitement of risking large
sums on the next spin, the next card, the next race. They know
the odds are not in their favor. That is why gambling is such a suc-
cessful industry—the house always wins in the end. Yet addicted
gamblers will continue to place larger and larger bets in pursuit
of a big jackpot. As losses mount, they will bet all the more reck-
lessly, thinking they can get even if they just keep trying.
This is the hallmark of a behavioral addiction: not being able
to stop. Addicted gamblers lose self-control. They cannot keep
themselves from placing one more bet. The very thought of quitting
can make them anxious or depressed. They are constantly seeking
the high of winning without regard for the terrible consequences
that can follow. To someone looking on, their actions can appear
foolish. But they are in the grip of a powerful force that does not
yield to ordinary logic. In fact, losing can actually feed the addicted
gambler’s excitement by increasing the tension of the next bet.
“Most experts
and clinicians now
consider gambling
addiction as a
legitimate biological,
cognitive, and
behavioral disorder.”
5
—Howard J. Shaffer, a
professor of psychiatry at
Harvard Medical School
