Gambling in the adult subject, when passion becomes deadly

Gambling is a very ancient practice whose popularity continues to grow. How can we explain the craze for this activity? What is its function in the psychic economy of the subject? The question of the function of gambling refers in part to the issue of motivation of the subject to indulge in this activity (both conscious and unconscious motivation of the player). However, the motivation will be different according to the type of player (either the social gambler, cheat, professional or pathological gambler). In addition, the motivation will also be different depending on the pathological gambler and the type of game he plays. Indeed, several recent studies (mostly conducted on pathological gamblers) showed that the profile of players varied by the type of game they engaged in and in terms of socio-demographic data, personality traits and psychopathological dimensions. The study of the function of the game or the motivation of the player offers interesting perspectives in terms of research and practical application. Indeed, it allows one hand to improve the typology of players and so to better adapt the procedure for taking charge of these matters. Moreover, understanding the motivation and the link with the involvement in the game can also help improve prevention messages for gambling and money.