Ask an Expert About Gambling Addiction

As a growing number of states turn to gambling as a source of additional revenue, compulsive gambling is on the rise.

“For most people who gamble, it is a social and recreational activity that does not incur long-lasting damage,” says Dr. Timothy Fong, an addiction expert based in Los Angeles. “But for about 2 percent of the population, they have this psychiatric disorder called gambling addiction that can severely impact their lives in permanently harmful ways.”

Dr. Fong is co-director of the gambling studies program and an associate professor of psychiatry at the University of California, Los Angeles, where thefirst publicly financed treatment program for compulsive gamblers and their families was recently introduced. He says his office often gets a flurry of calls early in the week following a weekend of sports betting, casino visits, poker games, lottery scratching or Internet gambling. Before the economic downturn, aggressive stock market trading was common.

“We think of gambling addiction as a silent killer,” he says, because it is often masked by medical complaints like insomnia, depression or stomach problems. “Fortunately, we now have treatments that are pretty effective in stopping the gambling and taking away the suffering.”

This week, Dr. Fong joins the Consults blog to answer readers’ questions about gambling addiction. Please post your questions in the Comments box below. Dr. Fong will begin responding to questions in the coming week.