Gambling has been a component of almost all Asia-Pacific countries. Like other business enterprises, gambling has given large revenue to the government aside from entertaining its people. However, on the other hand, gambling has been the cause of lost lives, broken families, and deteriorating quality of life. But why do people gamble? This paper tried to answer that question using data from a variety of studies on the psychology of addiction to gambling and its socio-economic implications for the Asia-Pacific region.KEYWORDS: Gaming psychology, investment in gambling, gambling in investment,commercial gambling, Asia-Pacific region, Manila Bay Resorts
