Views of the professional community as regards problems of pathological gambling vary. Both recent psychiatric classification systems include pathological gambling into similar diagnostic categories: ICD-10 into the group of Habit and Impulsive Disorders, DSM-IV among Impulse Control Disorders not Elsewhere Classified. However, many features of pathological gambling (e.g. formulation of diagnostic criteria, characteristics of course and outcome and possibilities of prevention and treatment) are resemble the OCD-spectrum disorders and, on the other hand, drug and alcohol dependence. Neurobiological studies postulate the dysregulation of serotonin, noradreneline and dopamine systems in this disorder. The presented neurobehavioural model of pathological gambling supports the opinion of a close similarity of pathological gambling (and other so-called non-substance addictions) and psychoactive substance dependence with all theoretical and therapeutic consequences. The gambling behaviour can be viewed as an addictive disorder – without the confounding variables usually involved in addictions to exogenous substance. On the other hand, pathological gamblers are often treated in programmes modeled on addictive disorders.

        Key words: pathological gambling, impulse control disorders, substance dependence, non-substance addiction, neurobehavioural model.