Gambling involves placing something of value (money or other resources) on an uncertain event with the hope of winning something else of value. It varies from lottery tickets to more sophisticated casino gambling and may be done for profit or simply as entertainment. Whether it is legal or not, gambling can cause negative impacts on gamblers and the people around them. These impacts can range from financial costs such as increased debt to negative health effects such as social isolation, poor performance at work or school and even homelessness.
Problematic gambling is often a result of underlying mental health issues such as impulsivity and poor decision-making abilities. It can also be caused by genetic predispositions, particularly for those who have an underactive brain reward system that makes them more inclined to seek out thrill-seeking behaviours or have a harder time controlling impulses. Other factors that contribute to a person’s risk of developing gambling problems include the environment in which they are exposed to gambling, as well as cultural attitudes and values about gambling.
When examining the impact of gambling, it is important to consider both the negative and positive effects. These can be structuralized using a conceptual model, where impacts can be observed at the personal, interpersonal and community/society levels. Individual level impacts induce effects on a gambler themselves while interpersonal and society/community levels affect others, including family members, friends and co-workers. In terms of the benefits, these can be monetary in nature such as increased gambling revenues or positive effects on public services or they can be non-monetary such as improvements in quality of life and social cohesion.