Gambling involves placing something of value (a bet) on an event with an uncertain outcome with the intention of winning something else of value. It is a popular activity that can take many forms, including: Buying lottery tickets, playing slot machines or video games, betting on sports events, and placing bets with friends in fantasy sports teams. While most people gamble for fun, some become addicted to gambling and experience negative health outcomes as a result. These harmful outcomes include financial distress, relationship breakdown, family violence, mental illness and suicide. The legacy of these harms can also span multiple generations and pervade entire communities.
Defining what constitutes gambling is important for legal regulations and consumer protection. It is also useful in assessing the potential for gambling to influence community economic growth and social problems.
Understanding what drives gambling can help identify individuals at risk of developing a problem. Several factors may increase the chances of developing a gambling disorder, including:
A person’s genetic predisposition. Studies have shown that certain types of genes are associated with compulsive gambling, such as a variant of the GAD-7 gene, which regulates reward response. Personality factors, such as being highly competitive, impulsive or restless. Medications such as Parkinson’s disease medications or the dopamine agonists used to treat restless legs syndrome have been linked to compulsive gambling in some people.
Environmental factors that influence gambling may include the availability of gambling opportunities, advertising and promotions, cultural influences, social influences, and biological and psychological factors. Gambling can also be influenced by the presence of other drugs and alcohol, such as nicotine and caffeine, in a person’s body.
Despite the many benefits of gambling, it is important to be aware of the risks. The most common harmful effects of gambling are: