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The psychological basis for harmful gambling is rooted in a number of different factors and is influenced by an individual's biology and broader environment. Depending on the personality and values that an individual holds, he or she is more or less likely to be susceptible to developing harmful gambling habits. This susceptibility could be exacerbated by other psychological disorders or addictions. Indeed, an individual may gamble ostensibly for entertainment purposes without realizing that underlying psychological issues could lead to a chronic gambling habit.
In this section we discuss psychological factors that contribute to harmful gambling, including personality and temperament, self-perceptions, social learning, lifespan development, comorbid disorders, subjective well-being, coping styles, and judgment and decision-making. There is generally a great deal of research that supports the existence of correlations between these risk factors and gambling problems, although the strength of the evidence varies from factor to factor, as outlined below.
It is important to note that until recently research on the psychological factors influencing gambling-related harm has been almost entirely cross-sectional. Longitudinal research is currently in progress in a number of countries and will provide further validation and insight into these factors.