When does gambling step over the line from entertainment to addiction? As we have previously discussed, gambling has moved from a sin and a vice to a past time and form of recreation. How does a family know when the entertainment has moved from a hobby to a compulsion or addiction? Estimates of how many people classify themselves as social gamblers that really qualify for a diagnosis of gambling addiction are from 2%-5%. Millions of Americans suffer from pathological gambling, although more men than women, at a ratio of 4:1. Men tend to enter the world of gambling as teenagers, but women begin gambling as adults. Women escalate their gambling addiction faster than men, however. Men gravitate toward personal betting games like table games, cards, blackjack, craps, and sports betting. Women are more likely to choose bingo, slots or keno games that are impersonal and passive. This book will explore history and trend of the gambling addiction.