Gambling is the wagering of something of value, including money or personal items, on an event with an uncertain outcome. It can include buying lottery tickets, playing cards or dice, keno, sports betting, bingo, or other games of chance. While gambling may provide some people with enjoyment and relaxation, it can also negatively impact health and well-being. Harms from gambling can include financial stress, relationships, work performance, mental illness, substance use and suicide. Moreover, the legacy of gambling harm can persist throughout one’s life and even be transmitted intergenerationally.
The popularity of gambling has increased over the past decade due to a number of factors. The accessibility of gambling is also increasing as more countries legalize and regulate their gambling industries. New gambling products have also been introduced, such as online casino games and mobile applications that allow people to bet and gamble on the go, 24 hours a day. These changes have contributed to the rise of harmful gambling behaviours.
Research into gambling has focused mainly on its negative impacts, such as the erosion of societal wealth and increases in crime rates. However, a broader view of gambling that focuses on the positive aspects of the activity can be useful for policy development and evaluation.
A variety of tools can be used to reduce gambling-related harm, including universal pre-commitment systems (requiring people to set binding limits on their time and money spent on gambling) and self-exclusion from gambling providers. However, despite the widespread availability of these interventions, few people make full use of them. This suggests that a more comprehensive approach is needed to address the problems caused by gambling, including reducing advertising and promotion and addressing barriers to access.
Studies have found that the costs of gambling can be divided into three classes: negative, interpersonal and community/societal. The personal level refers to the direct effects of gambling on gamblers, while the interpersonal and community/societal levels refer to the effects of gambling on others, such as family, friends and co-workers. It is important to consider these effects when evaluating gambling interventions, as focusing only on negative gambling impacts could lead to an overestimation of their costs and benefits to society.
A wide range of gambling activities can be considered harmful, ranging from lottery tickets and scratchcards to electronic gaming machines and online betting sites. These activities can be addictive, have a negative effect on a person’s health and wellbeing, and lead to social distancing. They can also have negative effects on communities, especially small businesses in the retail and entertainment sectors. In addition, gambling can divert normal consumption expenditure away from other businesses. This can have significant consequences for charitable and community organizations that are dependent on gambling revenues, as well as causing harm to families through the loss of wages. Lastly, gambling can also lead to increased poverty and homelessness among problem gamblers. This is a particularly serious issue in kinship cultures, where the loss of the income of relatives can have profound impacts on them.