Gambling is an activity where someone bets something of value (such as money or a favourite football team) in exchange for the opportunity to win something of value (like a prize or more money). The total amount of legal gambling winnings worldwide each year is around $10 trillion. While many people participate in gambling as a fun social activity, some people become seriously involved and gamble to the extent that it has negative personal, family and financial impacts. This is referred to as problem gambling.
The risk of becoming a problem gambler can be high, especially for those who are experiencing stressful life events or are at higher risk of depression or anxiety. It can also be a challenge to stop gambling when it has become a major preoccupation or a way to escape from difficult feelings. People who are experiencing these symptoms should seek professional help as soon as possible.
A common warning sign is lying to friends and family about how much you are gambling, or breaking promises. This can create a feeling of distance in relationships and is often hard to repair. It can also mean missing important family and friend events to gamble or to try to recoup losses.
Other warning signs include borrowing money to gamble, maxing out credit cards and using payday loans. This can lead to debts which may feel impossible to repay, or to reverting to old habits like stealing and committing fraud. Financial problems can have a ripple effect, causing strained relations with loved ones and creating difficulties accessing housing, healthcare and food.
People who gamble at harmful levels are more likely to experience low self-esteem, stress-related disorders, poor sleeping and eating, anxiety and depression. They are also more likely to develop a substance misuse problem and be at increased risk of suicide.
There is a wealth of gambling research that focuses on individual behaviour and addiction, but there is a nascent corpus of work considering the wider socio-cultural context and influences. This is important because, despite the fact that gambling is widely marketed and socially normalised, there is a real danger that it can negatively influence people’s lives.
Ultimately, the best thing to do to reduce harm from gambling is prevention. This means reducing the exposure to gambling, and implementing tools to enable people to control their behaviour and/or quit altogether. The most effective interventions include universal pre-commitment and self-exclusion, which require people to set binding limits on the time and money they spend gambling, and ban them from specific gambling providers if they do not comply with these requirements. A growing body of evidence shows that these types of tools are proving to be highly successful in preventing harmful gambling. It is therefore vital to support and encourage further research in this area. This can be done by building upon the existing work of scholars from a wide range of disciplines, including sociology, health and social sciences. This will enable a more integrated and inclusive approach to gambling research.
