Gambling disorder is a well-established behavioural addiction, which
was classified with substance-related disorders in the fifth edition of
the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Although
craving was introduced as a new diagnostic criterion for substancerelated
disorders, it was not included for gambling disorder. This
study aimed to explore the experience of gambling craving and to
evaluate whether the elaborated intrusion theory of desire (EIT), a
cognitive model of craving, fits gambling craving. A mixed methods
study was conducted among 31 non-clinical gamblers. The qualitative
part consisted of open-ended questions targeting the components
of the EIT. The quantitative part consisted of a questionnaire
designed to assess triggers and descriptions of gambling craving.
Qualitative analysis revealed six distinct conceptual categories
related to gambling craving: positive and negative affect, external
cues, mental imageries, thoughts and physiological sensations. The
quantitative analysis highlighted the most relevant triggers (e.g.
spontaneous thoughts) and experiential characteristics (e.g. visual
imagery) of gambling craving. The present study allowed the authors
to support the relevance of the EIT as it applies to gambling craving
by disentangling its core features. Findings from this study suggest
that the use of interventions derived from the EIT may be relevant for
problem gambling treatment.