The pathological gambling constitutes an important problem of mental
health in Spain and in other developed countries. The prevalence studies
are analyzed in function of the diagnostic criteria that have been used to
assess the pathological gambling. The studies realized in the more representative
samples of the general population in Spain based on the DSMIII,
DSM-III-R, DSM-IV and SOGS indicated a prevalencia between the 1.4 and 1.7%, similar to that of other countries. The last studies with derivative
instruments of the DSM-IV, as the NODS, or revised versions of
the SOGS, indicate a level of smaller prevalencia for the pathological
gambling. Finally, we discuss the results of the studies carried out in
Spain with several instruments or criteria and their comparison with the
results of other countries, especially in adults as in adolescents.