Gambling dates back to ancient times, yet new
arenas for gambling, such as the Internet, and methods of
assessing psychiatric illness in the modern age have shifted
our understanding of gambling as an addiction. Accordingly,
Gambling Disorder is now a part of the Addictive Disorders in
the DSM-5, which has further catalyzed a debate over the
contribution of personality traits (rather than just personality
disorders) to the manifestation and maintenance of psychiatric
conditions such as Gambling Disorder. This selective review
considers relationships between gambling and personality
traits. The possible existence of distinct subtypes of Gambling
Disorder, defined via personality traits, is highlighted, along
with consideration of whether objective neurocognitive
markers could serve as proxy markers of ‘personality’ more
amenable to scientific dissection rather than relying on
questionnaire-based measures alone. The clinical utility of
subtyping and future areas of research are discussed.