The word "gambling" is derived from the Anglo-Saxon word "gamenian", the meaning of that is "to play". But the pathological gambling definition takes the meaning one step farther: "an unstoppable urge to gamble". . Since the 1980's, the gambling industry has been developing unabated and now there is a variety of gambling games that are offered worldwide and that have gained great popularity.

The gambling business receives good profits, because a lot of people are involved in this industry and are ready to spend their last dollar on the hope of winning. Some of them win but in most cases the losses are great. This tendency to give everything for the game regardless of the situation for the sake of winning is called the pathological gambling definition of which is considered as a chronic mental illness that has to be cured.

People with pathological gambling syndrome run the risk of losing their job, family, relationships, and money. They are always in debt and are liable to commit crimes and steal in order to find the money for further playing. This syndrome provided by the pathological gambling definition makes the person dependent psychologically on gambling. Pathological gamblers have an inmpulse control disorder that is characterized by attempts to satisfy their needs and desires immediately. They cannot control this feeling and become emotionally programmed to betting. They lose their own significance and cannot imagine themselves out of the game.

According to this pathological gambling definition, pathological gamblers suffer from will-power disorder; they are unable to make many decisions on their own. These functions are connected with brains and disorders lead to serious consequences. Betting for such people is the only way for avoiding stress and forgetting about problems. The dream of becoming rich and famous is a way of receiving the things that their soul needs. But this is only an illusion and these dreams never come true. The game usually deceives the gambler's hopes, faith, and expectations.

There are some reasons why this problem exists. Passion for risk, strong impressions, concentration of emotions - all these become attractive for people who find themselves disposed for addiction. Statistically people who are exposed for drug addiction or alcohol abuse can easily suffer from the pathological gambling syndrome. The game creates its effects in the brains, and produces the programs of behavior, gives confidence, justifies their actions and behavior.

So the main reason is psychological dependence that is connected with predisposition. That is why the methods of treatment of this dependence should be conformed to psychotherapy. The medications help but not totally. First of all, the patient must want to be cured by himself and to endeavor to avoid the temptation to start from the beginning.

The most effective method of treating such illness is psychological sessions that can be held with the therapist or in the group with other patients who have the same problem. Currently there are a lot of organizations worldwide. Their main goal is to help such people involved in the pathological gambling. One of them - the Gamblers Anonymous - has appeared also in many other countries because the problem has reached global proportions.