The article is devoted to the study of psychological causes of gambling addiction in humans. Considering ludomania in the context of a variety of deviant behavior, the relevance of the problem and the peculiarities of the spread of gambling addiction among the population in terms of age groups in the context of globalization are revealed. To determine the methods of prevention and rehabilitation of a gambling addict, the socio-psychological characteristics of a typical gambling addict, the system of value orientations of the individual, the totality of causes and factors contributing to the formation of human gambling addiction are studied. The purpose of the study is to study the patterns of development of ludomania as a social phenomenon and a form of deviant behavior to determine the socio-psychological characteristics of a gambling addict. Gambling addiction as a form of deviant behavior was studied using an integrated approach. The use of empirical research methods contributed to obtaining a deep understanding of the dynamics and causes of gambling addiction. To study the problem, the methods of a systems approach were used, which made it possible to determine and reveal the integrity and peculiarity of gambling addiction, as well as the causes of gambling addiction as a socio-psychological phenomenon of modern society. The empirical basis of the study for determining the age groups of the population susceptible to gambling addiction was statistical data from monitoring reports and target studies. The significance of the study is that the results of the analysis of the main theoretical and empirical approaches to the study of gambling addiction as a socio-psychological phenomenon will contribute to identifying the causes and features of the spread of gambling addiction in humans as a type of deviant behavior and developing measures to reduce gambling addiction in society.