title: [Is gambling a disease in the sense of section 169 of the federal insurance law?].
abstract: The socalled gambling addiction expresses itself as an exaggerated form of the gambling passion. The act of becoming fixed on or addicted to this (or another) behaviour pattern is always proceded by tentative situations man is succumbing to. The stimulant becomes increasingly more attractive. Regarding such a process, there is not criterion to determine a point when the addiction (which is not linked to a certain matter) becomes a disease. At all events, it is a legal matter to decide whether an extremely defective development that has obviously resulted into social ruin is to be regarded as a disease. The whole range of medical and educational requirements, however, has to be dealt with separately.
authors.forename: P H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Bresser
mesh_terms: D005715:Gambling / Q000523:psychology*; D005860:Germany, West; D006801:Humans; D007352:Insurance, Life / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D007358:Insurance, Psychiatric / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D012309:Risk-Taking; D013405:Suicide / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000523:psychology
vernacular_title: Ist Spielsucht eine Erkrankung im Sinne des Section 169 VVG?