Gambling is a popular activity in most countries and contributes significantly to some economies. While the majority of people who gamble do so for fun, some become addicted and experience problems with their gambling behaviour. Problem gambling can negatively impact on personal, family and professional life.
Gambling involves risking money or other material goods on an outcome involving chance, such as the roll of a dice, spin of a wheel, or outcome of a horse race. Its inherent uncertainty is a key aspect that attracts some consumers and can cause problems for others. It is important to understand the risks associated with gambling so that you can protect yourself and those around you from its negative effects.
The psychological process that makes some people vulnerable to developing a gambling problem is complex and multi-factorial. Several factors can be linked to problematic gambling including a desire for an early big win, boredom susceptibility, impulsivity, a poor understanding of random events, use of escape coping and stressful life experiences. Combined these can have a powerful effect on a person’s behaviour and lead to an inability to recognize when they are getting into trouble.
For some, gambling provides an outlet for emotions such as anxiety and depression, providing an opportunity to relax and socialize with friends. For others, gambling becomes an addiction that erodes their finances, relationships and self-worth. When a person’s gambling begins to take over their daily lives, they can feel lost and desperate to regain control. In severe cases this can even result in suicide.
A common way to overcome gambling problems is to seek out a trained and experienced psychologist. Using cognitive behavioural therapy, psychologists can help you examine the beliefs and attitudes that led to your gambling addiction and provide you with tools to change your behavior and cope more effectively in the future.
Many studies have focused on monetary costs and benefits that are easily quantifiable, such as a gambler’s increased debt or loss of income. However, it is equally important to explore the non-monetary impacts of gambling on a personal, interpersonal and community/society level.
These non-monetary impacts are often overlooked and can be difficult to measure. However, they are important to consider because they may have long-term effects and can create a positive or negative change in an individual’s life course.
For example, the social isolation that occurs from a lack of contact with friends or family as a result of problem gambling can have a significant negative effect on quality of life. These types of impacts can be measured using health-related quality of life weights (HRQL DWs), which are commonly used in public health research. Moreover, they can be used to identify the social costs and benefits of gambling that are intangible. This type of measurement can be a critical factor in designing effective policies for gambling. This can be particularly useful for gambling interventions that aim to improve the quality of life of individuals and their families.