Gambling is a global industry that involves betting on events with a chance of winning money. There are many different ways to gamble, including online casino games, sports betting, lottery games and scratch cards. The odds that a person will win are determined by the combination of their own choices and randomness. The term ‘gambling’ also applies to other activities that involve taking risks, such as DIY investing, speculating or participating in fantasy leagues.
Gambling can have significant negative impacts on society and individuals. These can include financial, labour, social and health and well-being impacts. These can be observed at the individual, interpersonal and community/society levels (Fig. 1). These impacts can have long-term effects that change the course of an individual’s life and even pass between generations.
Problem gambling is associated with a range of health outcomes, including family violence, suicide and mental illness. The burden of gambling harms can be substantial and is often underestimated. It is important that we recognize the impact of gambling, understand how it works and use evidence to create effective policies to reduce its harms.
While the majority of people who gamble don’t experience problems, some are at risk. There are a number of factors that can increase the risk of gambling disorders, including genetics and brain structure. For example, some individuals are born with an underactive brain reward system, making them more susceptible to thrill-seeking behaviours and impulsivity. This can lead to an inability to control their gambling behaviour and to recognize when they have a problem.
Other risk factors for gambling disorder include poor money management, lack of personal finance skills and a perception that gambling is an acceptable way to spend leisure time. These risks are exacerbated by the fact that gambling is marketed as a fun, exciting and glamorous activity. People can also find it hard to identify a problem with gambling because of cultural influences, such as beliefs that gambling is an important part of society and a moral activity.
In addition, many people with gambling disorders are not aware that there is help available to them. There are a number of tools that can help with gambling disorder, including universal pre-commitment (requiring people to set binding limits on the amount of money they can spend on gambling) and self-exclusion (allowing people to ban themselves from gambling providers). These interventions are cost-effective and can be implemented at a population level. They should be supported by strict regulation and enforcement. These strategies will allow people to recover from their gambling habits, regain their financial independence and improve their overall wellbeing. This will in turn reduce the burden on communities and society as a whole.
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