Problem Gambling May Be Genetic, Study Says
In a continuing series of worldwide studies revealing problem gambling to be more an individual's mental disorder rather than an issue with gambling proliferation, a new South African report has found that the number of problem gamblers does not rise or drop with changes in gambling law or policies.
According to researchers at the University of Capetown and the University of KwaZulu-Natal, the incidence of problem gamblers is both smaller than generally thought, and consistently in the same percentage range regardless of local gambling availability.
About 0.5 to 0.7% of populations test as true problem gamblers. This group is largely resistant to treatment, and may be a result of genetic factors. Some scientists have suggested a drug therapy may be the best long-term answer to those in this category, treating the illness as a specific neural pathology.
These findings are consistent with recent studies in the United States and Europe, in which problem gambling was found to be a mere symptom of an underlying mental dysfunction, and in which physical differences were detected in the brains of those who suffered from problem gambling.
The South African study does reveal the presence of a larger group, consisting of individuals who may have gambled beyond their means and caused themselves temporary financial distress; but the members of this category quickly self-moderate their own behavior, and are not considered addictive.
Despite politicians around the globe who spout "common knowledge" about problem gambling that simply does not agree wit the facts, gambling proliferation and loosening of gaming restrictions does not foster problem gambling. Opponents of online casinos need to find a new argument to ban the hobby, or let people make their own choice to play.
