The main cause gambling  is normally the sense of winning as a flood of dopamine releases inside your brain as a reward.  This would make your brain want to dig into gambling more often as it gives you a good feeling. The most affected by gambling are mostly dependent kids or partners who have to come home to financial stress and emotional trauma. The stress on the gambler can sometimes cause an abusive relationship. The most common age a gambling addiction starts is mainly throughout the early days of adulthood when stress for money is at an all time high and can worsen if the gambler wins. This is because their brain triggers a feel good sensation which can make the gambler think they are a good gambler.  Research shows that most people’s first exposure to gambling happens early in life, typically between 11 and 12 years old, often within the family home. Roughly 30% of adolescents under 18 have participated in some form of gambling before reaching legal age, driven by early exposure to sports betting, scratch cards, and video game loot boxes.