When several newspapers and specialized magazines reported that the gambling addiction could be inherited, just a few years ago, nobody seemed to believe it at first. According to the researchers in the field if one of the parents is addicted to gambling the odds are high that the children will be addicted as well. Onlinecasinoportal.net investigated the matter and is going to discuss the role of genetic and environmental factors in the development of gambling addiction.
Some Australian researchers made studies on thousands of twins to prove the existence of the genetic component. Another similar study was initiated by American researchers from the University of Missouri and the Queensland Institute of Medical Research. Their studies and some previous ones have established that gambling addiction runs in families. The psychiatric evaluations were made using established criteria to allow the assessment of how many pathological gambling symptoms the participants had. All of them were screened for other psychological manifestations in order to diagnose if gambling addiction was a consequence of mania or other mental health problems. The results estimated that participants presenting at least one pathological gambling symptom were very much likely to have inherited it in 49% of cases. The chances of those who presented at least three or even more symptoms increased to 58%. Apparently there are no gender differences when it comes to genes that cause disordered gambling. Women are as much concerned as men.
Washington University School of Medicine and the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in St. Louis researchers also studied twins to bring scientific proof that some of us are genetically predisposed to gambling behavior. Their official diagnosis of the pathological gambling disorder relies on at least four of nine behaviors, like gambling more than planned, irascibility when not gambling and tendency to prioritize gambling as a major activity. The results showed that for at least two symptoms half of the behavior could be genetically explained. Onlinecasinoportal.net emphasizes the importance of acknowledging such behaviors as being based on a familial vulnerability, including some other manifestations like the obsession to win back losses, exaggerated preoccupation with gambling or betting.
The final results of all the above mentioned studies revealed that if one brother displayed a certain behavior, the odds were extremely high that his twin would display the same behavior. From a genetic perspective, the cases of identical twin pairs are more suggestive. The researchers reached the conclusion that genetic influences could be responsible for exposure to gambling behaviors; but only partly. Opposite reactions followed to demonstrate the limits of this theory. On one hand, arguments have been brought to support the co-existence of environmental factors along with genetic ones in the development of gambling addiction over the years, and on the other hand, the possibility of taking into account many other causes, factors and circumstances, powerful enough to influence the human mind.
Onlinecasinoportal.net considers environmental factors as important as genetic factors in developing gambling habits. In fact, the importance of each has raised controversial issues between specialists and psychologists. Many dare question the accuracy of the genetic theory by criticizing the study, which did not specify which exact genes had been under observation or the strength of the induced association. Their strongest argument is that addictions should be regarded as very complex disorders and the genetic predisposition taken into account as one of the possible explanations. Environmental factors are also likely to play a major role in the development of problem gambling. They also doubt the sufficiency of genetic studies and their evaluations to prove the theory.
Although controversy persists, nobody seems to deny the existence of a certain genetic component in all addictions, especially gambling, considering other social, psychological or environmental components. Generally speaking, any person has chances to become a gambler even after growing up in a monastery or the ideal family where nobody has such hobbies. Perhaps the chances are smaller than in case of a person with biological leaning towards gambling. Sometimes environment and genetics mingle so well and create the premises for a dangerous behavioral addiction.
Gambling has become a major problem in many countries of the world. For example, up to three percent of the American population presents major gambling problems, whether being affected by pathological gambling or not. And online gambling makes it easier. People with a genetic risk for pathological gambling can be easily tricked to become addicted, being only at a click distance from their temptation. As the opportunities to gamble increase, people become more vulnerable to addiction and run the risk of transmitting this predisposition to future generations, based on behavior and experience.
Onlinecasinoportal.net presented the hypothesis of the genetic factor in developing problem gambling and invoked several studies that suggest the genetic trait as susceptible to addiction, especially in its severe forms. Taken as a habit like any other, gambling can grow into an addiction for many various reasons. The genetic aspect seems to be really important and deserves our attention as a starting point to analyze addictive behavior.
