Backround: One of the possible ways of rating gambling problems is the continuum from recreational gambling to pathological gambling. Although several scales for measurement of severity of pathological gambling were created abroad, there are no standardized versions of them available in Slovakia, which lead to construction of „Banská Bystrica Pathological Gambling Questionnaire“ (BBDPH). BBDPH was created for measurement of pathological gambling severity. Goal: In a pilot study, reliability and validity of BBDPH were evaluated. Methods: Measurement of the internal consistency of BBDPH with defining split-half reliability coefficient and Cronbach’s alpha, a correlation of severity of pathological gambling considered with BBDPH score with number of fulfilled DSM-IV and DSM-5 criterion of pathological gambling. The research sample consisted of 50 pathological gamblers who were treated at Department of Psychiatry in Banská Bystrica. Results: Within the frame of the pilot study adequate reliability and validity of BBDPH were demonstrated. Conclusion: Based on the results of the pilot study the „Banská Bystrica Pathological Gambling Questionnaire“ is considered as useful and reliable diagnostic tool for the measurement of severity of pathological gambling which may find its position in the clinical practice in Slovakia. For more complex justification of the questionnaire reliability and validity, as well as for ascertaining descriptive BBDPH parameters including cut-off score, another survey, which is not focused only on a clinical sample, will be needed.

Key words: „Banská Bystrica Pathological Gambling Questionnaire“ – reliability – validity – severity of pathological gambling