ABSTRACT

Gambling, like the consumption of alcohol, is an activity that in reduced quantities can be positive and serve as entertainment, but when excessive it can become a serious problem. Nevertheless it is difficult to establish the balance between these two extremes. Different authors, among them Rosenthal (1989) and Echeburúa (1993), point out the resemblance between pathological gambling and addictions, suggesting that it is an addiction in its pure state, that is, an addiction without chemical substance.