Gambling involves risking something of value, such as money or property, on an event with uncertain outcome. It may take the form of betting on a football team to win, playing a casino game or buying a scratchcard. People choose the event they want to bet on and are then given a ‘bet’ or ‘odds’, for example 5/1 or 2/1, which represent how much they could win if they are right.
People gamble for a variety of reasons, including the chance to win money, socialising and changing their moods. However, for some people gambling can become a serious problem and they may find themselves betting more than they can afford to lose or hiding evidence of their gambling from family and friends. This can lead to financial problems and debt, so it’s important to seek help if you’re concerned about your finances. If you need advice, speak to StepChange.
Psychiatrists and other treatment care clinicians have a range of views on whether pathological gambling should be classified as an addiction, and they often use different paradigms or world views from which to consider these questions. Despite this, all these views agree that some individuals are more at risk of developing an addictive gambling disorder than others. There are also differences of opinion about whether all types of gambling, or just certain kinds of gambling, are equally likely to be addictive. The term ‘Gambling Disorder’ is also contested. Some psychiatric researchers and practitioners have used the term ‘Gambling Addiction’ to reflect this.