**1. Introduction**

Gambling has been around since the oldest times, as the desire to win, to gain welfare and prestige by taking risks continuously is an instinctual force, which continues to exist in the human gene. People used to gamble dices even 6000 years ago, in today's in China, as attested by archeological evidence [1].

There has been, throughout history, a plethora of personalities of different times preoccupied with gambling: Roman Emperors Nero and Claudius were recognized as great gamblers, while Lord Halifax, Marie Antoinette, the Duke of Wellington, and Dostoyevsky could belong in the modern definition of a compulsive gambler [2].

Research in the field shows us the fact that in the Unites States of America, approximately 85% of the adult population has participated at least once in their lifetime in a game of chance [3]; in Canada, a percentage of 63.3% of the adult population has gambled at least once during the year 2005, without developing addiction problems [4]; in Norway, more than 80% of the

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adult population has participated in a game of chance, out of whom, approximately 40% have gambled at least once a week.

• Financial problems: one borrows, sells goods, and builds up debt in order to finance this

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Gambling Addiction http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.72671 163

• Stress-related afflictions: insomnia, nervousness, depression, anxiety, culminating in sui-

Studies conducted by Blaszczynsky [10] have revealed that gambling disorder determines the following negative effects on gamblers: depression, suicidal thoughts, anxiety, alcohol and drug consumption, difficulties in keeping a work-place, lies and deceits, the decrease of

Between 1997 and 2007, Muňoz-Molina performed an extensive study on the prevalence of gambling disorder, and he found that it is situated between 0.6% in Norway [11] and 7.6% in USA [12] among the adults, while the prevalence for teenagers is at approximately the same

Disley et al. [15] specified the fact that there are certain categories of the population upon which there have not been studies on the prevalence on the gambling addiction, namely incar-

Gambling disorder is defined by the DSM-5 Diagnostic Criteria [16] as a "Persistent and recurrent problematic gambling behavior leading to clinically significant impairment or distress, as indicated by the individual exhibiting four (or more) of the following in a 12-month period:

**1.** Needs to gamble with increasing amounts of money in order to achieve the desired

**4.** Is often preoccupied with gambling (e.g., having persistent thoughts of reliving past gambling experiences, handicapping or planning the next venture, thinking of ways to get

**8.** Has jeopardized or lost a significant relationship, job, or educational or career opportunity

**9.** Relies on others to provide money to relieve desperate financial situations caused by

addiction;

cide attempts.

excitement.

money with which to gamble).

because of gambling.

gambling."

• Legal problems: deceits, forgeries, thefts;

cognitive performance, and physical symptoms.

**4. The prevalence of gambling disorder**

high level, respectively 0.8% in Switzerland [13] and USA [14].

cerated people, homeless people, and active military officials.

**2.** Is restless or irritable when attempting to cut down or stop gambling.

**6.** After losing money gambling, often returns another day to get even.

**7.** Lies to conceal the extent of involvement with gambling.

**3.** Has made repeated unsuccessful efforts to control, cut back, or stop gambling.

**5.** Often gambles when feeling distressed (e.g., helpless, guilty, anxious, depressed).

When a person is gambling more and more and is allocating more and more money to gambling to the detriment of other daily activities, a compulsive disorder may be seen as emerging and developing, which risks becoming a gambling disorder. The consequences of compulsive gambling are many, ranging from financial problems to intensified or prolonged stress, from dismantled families to lost fortunes, academic abandonment, and more. It is becoming more and more important that the young population especially, but also the rest of the population seen entering casinos on an increasing larger scale, should understand what it means to gamble responsibly and how to avoid the slippery slope to gambling disorder [5].
