These shared elements include the commandeering of the natural reward pathway, development of tolerance and withdrawal, and engaging in the behavior despite harm experienced by the individual and others.
Further similarities are found when comparing gambling disorder and substance disorders in the life course, treatment outcome, diagnostic criteria (with some differences), and the content of existing treatment protocols. Petry and Potenza provide a review of the similarities and differences between pathological gambling and substance disorders. Gambling disorder was the first and only non-substance use disorder to be classified into the new substance-related and addictive disorders chapter.
