Inhérentes à toute situation de jeu de hasard, les distorsions cognitives jouent un rôle central dans le développement et le maintien du jeu en amenant le sujet à nier la part de hasard et de chance dans le jeu. Elles sont influencées par le déroulement et l’issue du jeu, et ont un effet sur la pratique de jeu du sujet. Leur nombre et leur intensité sont toutefois liés à l’intensité de la problématique de jeu. Les connaissances actuelles sur les distorsions cognitives permettent de mieux comprendre et traiter les joueurs pathologiques. Ainsi, l’objectif de la thérapie cognitive est d’identifier et modifier les croyances irrationnelles liées au jeu. Cependant, certaines questions restent ouvertes, notamment concernant la spécificité de ces croyances dans les jeux impliquant une part effective de stratégie.

Cognitive distorsions are inherent to any gambling situation whatever the level of commitment of the gambler. Irrational beliefs lead the subject to overestimate his share of control over the game’s outcome to the detriment of chance. Knowing the objective probability to win and having good numeric capacities of reasoning does not prevent the gamblers from developing these false beliefs. According to the concept of double switching proposed by Ladouceur et Sévigny, 2005Ladouceur R., Sévigny S. Structural characteristics of video lotteries: effects of a stopping device on illusion of control and gambling persistence Journal of gambling studies 2005 ;  21 (2) : 117-132

Cliquez ici pour aller à la section Références, irrational beliefs would coexist with objective knowledges on the game and would bustle in situation of gambling. The progress and the outcome of the game influence the development and the maintenance of cognitive distorsions, which influences the subject’s practice of gambling. Pathological gambling, repeated and persistent gambling behavior, is characterized in particular by the presence of cognitive distortions, leading the subject to maintain, even to increase his gambling practice. Indeed, if cognitive distorsions are present in any situation of gambling, it seems nevertheless that it is more frequent and more intense in problem and pathological gamblers. Cognitive distorsions, in particular illusion of control, thus lead to a more important practice of gambling and a financial risk-taking, favoring the installation and the preservation of problem gambling. Certain factors seem to influence cognitive distorsions. There is a gender effect: women would present fewer irrational beliefs than men. Depression, anxiety and stress would also favor the development of these beliefs in situation of gambling. Several methods exist to estimate cognitive distorsions in gamblers. The first researches are based on assessment made by others (observation and analysis of gambler’s verbalizations). Afterward, several self-report scales were created. At the moment, none of these scales has been validated in French language. The identification of gambling related cognitive distortions permit to elaborate adapted modes of treatment. So, the cognitive therapy suggests identifying and restructuring the beliefs to bring the subject to change his gambling behavior. In spite of the current knowledge on cognitive distorsions, certain questions remain open, in particular about the implication of theses beliefs in games implying a part of strategy, in which the subject has effectively a certain control over the game.