Pathological gambling (PG) disorder occurs when a person gambles repetitively despite severe negative effects on important aspects of life. PG tends to be a heterogonous disorder in which patients differ with respect to type and intensity of gambling behavior, psychiatric comorbidity, family history, age at onset and gender. Gamblers may accordingly be classified into three subtypes: the “impulsive”, “obsessive-compulsive” and “addicted” subtypes.

To characterize a sample of Italian PG pathological gamblers and assess the prevalence of the various gambling subtypes in this population.

52 outpatients (44 men, 9 women), diagnosed with PG according to DSM IV-TR and SOGS criteria, were administered the Dannon Ainhold Gambling Scale (DAGS), which assesses the presence of the disorder and is useful for patient subtyping.

37 gamblers enrolled in our study played one specific kind of game, while 15 played multiple games. 30 patients played slot machines, 18 sport betting, 11 casino and card games, 14 bingo and scratch cards. According to DAGS, 5 (9,6%) patients belonged to the “addicted” subtype, 4 (7,7%) to the “obsessive-compulsive” subtype and 9 (17,3%) to the “impulsive” subtype. 15 (28,8%) gamblers were classified as “addicted-impulsive” subtype, 10 (19,2%) as “addicted-obsessive-impulsive” subtype, while 9 (17,3%) did not belong to any specific subtype though they displayed a tendency for one of the subtypes.

DAGS allows to identify three major subtypes of gamblers and also considers possible combinations between the different subtypes. An evaluation of these aspects could be useful in treatment options based on patient subtype.