From the Flight Deck to the Trading Desk: Gamblified Investing Behavior in a Commercial Airline Pilot.

The convergence of investing and gambling has accelerated with the proliferation of  investment products characterized by high volatility. This case report examines a 42-year-old male commercial airline pilot who developed maladaptive engagement with high-risk financial instruments during the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in significant financial losses. The patient's behavior, marked by an inability to adapt to market conditions and attempts to recoup losses through increasingly speculative investments, mirrors patterns observed in problem gambling. Notably, as demonstrated by proficient performance on the Big Three financial literacy assessment, the patient's elevated financial literacy level failed to serve as a protective factor against problematic speculative behavior. This case highlights potential risk factors in aviation professionals, including personality traits like high extraversion and elevated disposable income. Following cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), the patient successfully transitioned to more conservative investment strategies, with improvements in psychometric scores. However, his posttreatment score on the National Opinion Research Center Diagnostic Screen for Gambling Problems, while improved, still indicated an at-risk status, necessitating ongoing monitoring. This case underscores the need for enhanced awareness, targeted screening protocols, and tailored interventions within occupational health settings, particularly in safety-critical professions like commercial aviation. Future research should focus on developing comprehensive screening instruments for the early identification of problematic financial behaviors, investigating the long-term efficacy of therapeutic modalities like CBT, and examining the prevalence and safety implications of high-risk financial behaviors among aviators.