Gambling is a form of risk-taking in which people wager money or something else of value on an uncertain event with the hope of winning. It’s a widespread activity. People who buy lottery tickets, place bets on sporting events or play video poker or casino games are all gambling. People gamble in their spare time and many do so socially, and it’s a popular activity at family gatherings and in casinos. Some people develop a gambling problem. Problematic gambling causes harm, including financial stress, relationship distress, mental illness and suicide. It can also affect work, school and home life.
Developing a clear definition of gambling is key for understanding and addressing harmful behaviours. This includes identifying the potential for harmful effects based on frequency of exposure, social and cultural influence, biological and psychological influence, availability of resources and availability of treatment.
Harmful gambling can include a range of behaviours, from buying scratch cards to betting on sports teams, from playing online poker to paying for a professional to coach your own team. However, the most serious harms are accumulative and can be long-lasting and have a profound impact on individuals, families, and communities.
Gambling can be seen as a way to make a quick profit or avoid unemployment, and it’s also considered an activity that relieves boredom or depression. Problematic gambling – sometimes called compulsive or pathological gambling – is an addictive behaviour with serious negative consequences for the person’s wellbeing. It is similar to substance abuse or dependence, although the DSM focuses on addiction rather than the specific disorder of gambling.
A gambling problem can cause significant harm to the person’s physical and emotional health, relationships and career. It can also lead to legal problems, loss of employment and increased risk-taking. People who have a gambling problem can find it difficult to stop gambling, even when they experience serious consequences. They may also try to conceal their gambling activities.
Gambling is a common leisure activity worldwide and it has become more prevalent with the advent of the internet and smartphone technology. In addition to its social aspects, it is a highly profitable industry and governments around the world receive substantial taxation revenue. This makes it a political priority for governments to promote gambling, but they must balance this with minimizing harms. Population-wide interventions are needed to reduce harm, such as universal pre-commitment (requiring people who gamble to set binding limits on how much money and time they spend gambling) and self-exclusion systems that allow users to ban themselves from gambling providers. These systems are more effective than voluntary approaches, which have poor uptake. They can be implemented at the national or local level. They should be accompanied by restrictions on advertising and promotions, centralized account registration and strict regulation of access and availability. This would help prevent gambling harm, such as financial stress, relationship breakdown, mental illness and suicide. Harmful gambling is often linked to other harmful behaviours such as excessive drinking and drug use.