Gambling is the wagering of something of value on a random event, where instances of strategy are discounted. It can take many forms, including betting on horse and greyhound races, football accumulators, lottery and casino games. It also includes speculating on business, insurance and stock markets. There are many different reasons why people gamble, and it can have positive as well as negative impacts on society. Some of the negative impacts include increased gambling-related health costs, social inequalities and loss of life opportunities. In addition, the risk of addiction to gambling can increase as a person loses control over their financial decisions.
People with a gambling disorder may become dependent on gambling for emotional, psychological, and even physical relief. They may be unable to resist the urge to place another bet, despite having already lost money. This is why it is important to seek professional help for problem gambling. There are several factors that contribute to the development of gambling addiction, including an early big win, boredom susceptibility, impulsivity and a poor understanding of random events. Other causes of gambling addiction may include the use of escape coping, stressful life experiences and depression.
In recent years, our understanding of gambling and its adverse consequences has undergone a profound change. We used to view people who had problems with their gambling as alcoholics, but now we consider them to have mental health problems. This shift in thinking has been reflected or stimulated by the changing clinical classification of pathological gambling in the various editions of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (called DSM) published by the American Psychiatric Association.
The aim of this article is to review complementing and contrasting views on the impacts of gambling from a public health perspective. We do this by constructing a conceptual model for analyzing the impact of gambling at the individual and community/society levels.
While the research on gambling has often focused on the financial and other monetary impacts, studies have neglected to include personal or interpersonal effects and community/societal level effects. It is important to analyze these impacts because they can have long-term and cumulative effects on a person’s life course and can have lasting repercussions, even after the person stops gambling.
One of the main impacts of gambling is that it creates societal inequalities, as the lowest income households spend the most on gambling and are at a greater risk of developing a gambling problem. Gambling can also have a negative impact on public services, as the increase in gambling availability is associated with an increase in the demand for social care. However, there is a potential for gambling to be a source of funding for philanthropic and charitable activities, as many casinos and other operators engage in corporate social responsibility by contributing a percentage of their profits to these organizations. This may help to offset some of the negative impacts of gambling. In addition, gambling can be an enjoyable pastime that enhances happiness and makes people feel more active.