This is a clinical term relating to a score assessed by a professional using a recognized set of criteria. The currently accepted standard is based on nine criteria of gambling as recognized by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) and can be summarized as: gambling with increasing amounts of money, restless or irritable when not gambling, unsuccessful attempts to control or stop gambling, preoccupied with gambling, gambling to relieve stress, chasing losses, attempting to hide the gambling, damaged significant relationships or opportunities, and borrowing money to overcome dire financial situations due to gambling. The APA recognizes three levels of disorder including mild (4-5 criteria met), moderate (5-6 criteria met), and severe (8 – 9 criteria met). (Source: American Psychiatric Association, 2013)

Other terms that have been used to denote disordered gambling and are now considered outdated have included pathological gambling, compulsive gambling, and gambling addiction for example.