The research group followed a procedure from a cognitive-behavioral perspective in order to treat pathological gambling. It is a multi-component treatment program adapted from one used previously by Echeburúa and Báez (1994).

We followed an assessment protocol to confirm patients’ diagnoses and to obtain useful information about gambling behavior and irrational beliefs and ideas which maintain the behavior. The next, the intervention was applied, using a multi-component behavioral-cognitive treatment.

Significantly, this intervention relied on strict control of stimuli related to gambling (money, bars, etc.) in conjunction with the cognitive restructuring technique; this allowed us to address patients’ irrational beliefs.

In addition, exposure therapy was added to the gambling prevention, which helped with the habituation procedure and the logical sequence of the strategies for facing the gambling situation. As a multi-component program, the previous aspects are combined with training in problemsolving. Finally, relapse prevention, in addition to the previously described components, comprises one of the more significant elements of the intervention of this research.

With non-toxic addictions such as gambling, it is necessary to address other elements that contribute to gambling behavior, such as abuse of alcohol or other substances, depression, anxiety, and marital problems.

Results thus far have demonstrated the utility of this approach. New developments in this area include using virtual reality systems to facilitate exposure tasks with response prevention in the treatment of pathological gambling. Preliminary data which have been obtained are very encouraging.