Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2018 Mar;34(1):85-99.
doi: 10.1007/s10899-017-9697-z.

Episodic and Binge Gambling: An Exploration and Preliminary Quantitative Study

S Cowlishaw  1 , E Nespoli  2 , J K Jebadurai  3   4 , N Smith  4 , H Bowden-Jones  4   5
Affiliations

Episodic and Binge Gambling: An Exploration and Preliminary Quantitative Study

S Cowlishaw et al. J Gambl Stud. 2018 Mar.

Abstract

The DSM-5 includes provisions for episodic forms of gambling disorder, with such changes aligned with earlier accounts of potential binge gambling behaviours. However, there is little research that indicates the utility of these classifications of episodic or binge gambling, and this study considered their characteristics in a clinical sample. It involved administration of a new binge gambling screening tool, along with routine measures, to n = 214 patients entering a specialist treatment clinic for gambling problems. Results indicated that episodic gambling was common in this clinical context, with 28 and 32% of patients reporting gambling episodes that were (a) regular and alternating, and (b) irregular and intermittent, respectively. These patterns were distinguished by factors including associations with covariates that indicated differences from continuous gamblers. For example, the irregular episodic gamblers, but not the regular pattern, demonstrated lower levels of problem gambling severity and comorbidity. Rates of potential binge gambling, which was defined in terms of additional criteria, were around 4% and numbers were insufficient for comparable analyses. The findings support inclusion of episodic forms of gambling disorder in the DSM-5, but highlight the need for improved recognition and research on heterogeneous forms of episodic gambling.

Keywords: Abstinence; Binge; Episodic; Gambling; Measurement; Treatment clinic.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of interest

The National Problem Gambling Clinic in London is partly funded by the NHS, and partly funded by the Responsible Gambling Trust; a charity that receives gambling industry funds and distributes these to treatment agencies in the UK. The conduct of this current project was unfunded. The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Ethical Approval

This paper involved data collected in the context of a service evaluation and did not require approval by a research ethics committee. All data was collected in accordance with NHS regulations of standard clinical practice.

References

    1. American Psychiatric Association . Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. 3. Washington, DC: Author; 1980.
    1. American Psychiatric Association. (1987). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (3rd ed., revised). Washington, DC: Author.
    1. American Psychiatric Association . Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. 5. Washington, DC: Author; 2013.
    1. Browne M, Langham E, Rawat V, Greer N, Li E, Rose J, Rockloff M, Donaldson P, Thorne H, Goodwin B, Bryden G, Best T. Assessing gambling-related harm in Victoria: A public health perspective. Melbourne: Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation; 2016.
    1. Courtney KE, Polich J. Binge drinking in young adults: Data, definitions, and determinants. Psychological Bulletin. 2009;135(1):142–156. doi: 10.1037/a0014414. - DOI - PMC - PubMed