Yes, several factors may predispose individuals to develop gambling disorder, including loss of a parent by death, separation, divorce, or desertion before a child is 15 years of age. Other contributing factors may include inappropriate parental discipline (absence, inconsistency or harshness of discipline), exposure to and availability of gambling activities for adolescents, a family emphasis on material and financial status, and a lack of family emphasis on saving, planning and budgeting.
Several studies have suggested that gamblers’ risk-taking behavior may have an underlying neurobiological cause related to an individual’s brain chemistry.