Pathological gambling has only been a recognized psychiatric disorder since 1980. And there was no reliable estimate of its prevalence until 1997, when a study by Harvard Medical School found that approximately 1.1 percent of the population of the United States and Canada suffer from a clinical disorder called pathological gambling.

The Harvard study gave us an understanding of how many people have the problem, but little is known about the nature of the disorder itself. Without understanding why some men and women are prone to the disorder while most are not, it is difficult to develop effective prevention, diagnostic and treatment strategies.

Research does provide some clues. For example, it suggests that there are a number of factors common to gambling disorders and other addictions, but it is difficult to distinguish whether disordered gambling is the core problem or a symptom of another deeper issue, such as depression, alcoholism or an anxiety disorder.

Further complicating the issues is the lack of a "gold standard" to judge the accuracy by which individuals are screened and diagnosed for gambling disorders, making it extremely difficult to determine who is truly suffering from this disorder.

Also adding to the complexity of this issue is a lack of agreement among academics, researchers and clinicians on the terms used to define problems associated with excessive gambling. Considering all these factors, there is a clear need for independent, peer-reviewed scientific research into gambling disorders.