ABSTRACT
Pathological gambling is a progressive and chronic disorder that is characterized by an unrelenting failure to resist impulses to gamble, and where this `maladaptive behavior disrupts, or damages personal, family, or vocational pursuits' (American Psychiatric Association, 1994, p. 615). Research studies report that the prevalence of pathological gambling in the population is between 1 and 2 per cent (Shaffer, Hall, & Vander Bilt, 1997; Stucki & Rihs-Middel, 2007). However, estimates of prevalence rates for pathological gambling, internationally range from 0.8 to 5 per cent (Molde et al., 2004). The prevalence of problem gambling (that is, those experiencing gambling problems to a lesser degree than required by the Diagnostic Statistic Manual IV (DSM±IV) criteria as well as those meeting the criteria) exceed these ®gures.
