Gambling involves an activity where a person places something of value at risk to earn something else of greater value. This includes games of chance such as billiards, casino games, bingo and card games as well as sports betting and lottery games. Those who gamble have a high-risk for developing problems, especially if they participate regularly and for prolonged periods of time. Adolescents, veterans, aging adults and members of Latino and Asian communities are at particular risk for developing gambling addictions. Research has shown that gambling activates the reward system in the brain in the same way as alcohol and drugs. For some people, this can lead to an addictive cycle where they need to gamble more and more to experience pleasure.
While gambling can be enjoyable in moderation, for others it can become a problem that leads to serious harms to their lives and the people around them. Problem gambling often occurs in families and causes significant emotional, social, and financial costs. It can be difficult to determine when gambling has slipped into a harmful pattern, as unlike drug or alcohol abuse there are rarely outward signs of addiction.
There are many reasons why people gamble, including for fun, to win money and to relieve boredom. Some people find relief from unpleasant emotions by gambling, such as after a bad day at work or following a disagreement with their spouse. However, there are healthier ways to relieve unpleasant feelings and boredom. For example, you can exercise, spend time with friends who do not gamble and take up a new hobby. You can also try to improve your mental health by practicing relaxation techniques.
Whether it is for fun, to win money or for entertainment, the act of gambling can be highly addictive and result in serious consequences for the gamblers and their loved ones. Problem gambling has been linked to a variety of negative outcomes, including increased debt, credit card defaults and bankruptcy. Problem gamblers may also hide money they are spending on gambling from family members, which can strain relationships.
The long-term effects of gambling can have a profound effect on an individual, and can change their life course or even pass between generations. Therefore, it is important to examine the impacts of gambling at the personal, interpersonal and community/society levels.
Several different methodologies are used to assess gambling impacts, and this article reviews complementing and contrasting approaches to produce a conceptual model for the assessment of gambling from a public health perspective. It proposes the use of health-related quality of life weights (similar to those used in drug and alcohol research) to measure intangible impacts on a gambler’s life and well-being. These could be used to discover the hidden cost of gambling, and help identify a range of potential benefits for society. Moreover, these can also be used to measure the positive impacts of gambling, such as higher tax revenues that can be directed towards community services and other important public expenditures.