[Slot machine and roulette gamblers. Psychiatric and criminologic differences]

In an unselected group of 48 excessive gamblers who came for psychiatric help or for an expert opinion on legal responsibility, childhood developmental limitations were frequent, as well as disorders in the ability to form and maintain partner relationships in later life. However, the childhood conditions and biographies of this group were diverse, and the spectrum of their observed mental and personality disorders rather wide. Differences in age, social class and psychiatric spectrum were found between gamblers at electronic game machines (german style slot-machines) and roulette gamblers. Delinquent behaviour was relatively frequent and had usually started before the onset of excessive gambling.