New scientific research released Tuesday at a meeting in Chicago reveals that compulsive gambling may in fact be genetically founded. This just underscores what we've been saying with sound, scientific, tangible evidence. The research suggests compulsive gamblers share a gene that predisposes them to addictive behavior.
Environmental factors are important, psychological factors are important.
It's a complex disorder. The gene is called the D-2 receptor. I think recognizing that there is some kind of physical link to what happens to these individuals helps to put it into a framework. We're no longer talking about a moral judgment. We're no longer talking about right or wrong.