Gambling is an activity in which people stake or risk something of value upon the outcome of a future contingent event not under their control or influence, such as a sporting event, a lottery or a game of chance. It excludes bona fide business transactions, contracts of indemnity or guaranty and life, health or accident insurance.
People gamble for a number of reasons. Some are motivated by the desire to win money; others may be hoping to change their mood, or to take their mind off problems. The media portrays gambling as exciting, glamorous and fashionable, and for some people this helps to relieve boredom or distress. However, it is important to remember that gambling is a risky activity and that people can get into difficulty with it. In some cases, the problem can lead to debt, homelessness and even suicide.
A person’s chances of winning or losing are influenced by their past experience and their personality traits. A tendency to impulsive behaviour, boredom susceptibility, poor mathematical skills, use of escape coping and negative emotional states (such as anxiety or depression) are all linked to the onset of gambling problems. The way in which people learn to gamble may be shaped by the environment around them, including family and friends, work or school colleagues and advertisements and other forms of media.
Whether or not a person develops a gambling problem depends on their ability to resist the urge to gamble, and they must be able to recognise when they have crossed a line into harmful behavior. For some people this means they only bet small amounts, but for others it can mean spending the majority of their income on gambling activities. This can affect their health, relationships and performance at work or school, as well as leading to serious debt.
The underlying causes of gambling are complex and vary by individual, but some of the main factors include a lack of self-control, the expectation of an early big win, a false sense of control, a misunderstanding of random events and the use of gambling to avoid stressful or painful situations in their lives. In addition, the euphoria triggered by gambling can cause an addictive reaction in some people, as it stimulates the brain’s reward system.
Research into the impacts of gambling has been conducted from a variety of different approaches. Many studies focus on costs, particularly financial and labor costs. Other studies have used a cost-benefit analysis that includes changes in wellbeing, rather than just costs. However, there is still a need for a common methodology that takes into account both positive and negative social effects. The conceptual model described in this article offers a framework for this. It classifies the impact of gambling into personal, interpersonal and community/society levels, and identifies the classes of impacts by type and duration. This can be useful in locating research on specific issues, and in ensuring that a balanced evidence base exists for the prevention and treatment of gambling addiction.