Biological Explanations of gambling

The role of biology in pathological gambling:

In the initiation of gambling, studies have shown that pathological gambling runs in families. 
Even though some attribute this to social modelling influences, it is also possible that it can be due to genes. 

A study by shah found evidence for the genetic transmission of gambling, amongst men. 

And black found that first degree relatives of gamblers were more likely to suffer from pathological gambling, compared to the more distant relatives. Suggests that genes play a part. 

In the case of maintaining the addiction of gambling, it may be due to an underactive pituitary adrenal response.

Paris measure levels of cortisol, the hormone associated with the pituitary gland, before and after watching a video of their preferred mode of gambling, and found that pathological gamblers demonstrated no salivary cortisol increase. suggesting…