Sad Stories of Compulsive Gambling Do Not Address Root of Problem

But banning gambling is just an emotional, knee-jerk reaction to a complex problem.

Gambling opponents capture the public's ear with stories of the horrible fates that befell problem gamblers. Certainly, there are many unhappy tales of those who abused gambling.

But Lawrence Anderson, problem gambling analyst at Online Casino Advisory, cautions against being swept away by the story to the detriment of finding a solution. In an interview, Anderson said that anecdotal stories may draw emotional responses, but do little to discover the cause of the problem.

"Many studies in the last year or more, across the globe, have found compulsive gambling to be an expression of an underlying behavioral dysfunction. Removing gambling from the equation does not cure the cause, but simply forces it to manifest itself in other dysfunctional ways, including drug or alcohol abuse, domestic issues, and problems functioning in society."

Anderson was responding to lectures by Dr. Jeffrey Derevensky, in which the psychiatrist told tales of gamblers enthralled by their hobby, to the point of excluding all else. Derevensky tells of gamblers losing their homes and jobs, and turning to crime or suicide as the escape from their problem.

But Anderson asserts that stories of horrible fates can be told about alcohol or guns, or cars, or hang gliding, or scuba diving, or any of a million other activities. "This doesn't mean these passions should be banned. It means that people need education to make good choices, and those who don't respond to education may have more severe mental disorders."

Studies have shown that problem gambling is most likely caused by a defect in the prefrontal cortex. Both behavioral and chemical therapies may be necessary to treat this illness. But banning gambling is just an emotional, knee-jerk reaction to a complex problem.