Approximately 2 million individuals in the U.S. are pathologically problematic gamblers, while an additional 4 to 6 million can be considered problem gamblers, according to licensed clinical social worker Susan Gadoua in her PsychologyToday.com article "So You're Married to An Addict: Is Divorce Inevitable?"

Gambling addiction is the compulsive act of gambling without regard for financial, family- or work-related consequences. Gambling addicts may become excessively preoccupied with the act of gambling itself and not necessarily with winning or losing.