Gambling involves placing something of value on an event that is random and unpredictable with the intention of winning something else of value. It is a form of risk-taking that can cause people great emotional distress and financial hardship if it becomes out of control. While most people who gamble do so responsibly, for a small proportion of the population gambling is a serious problem that can ruin their lives. For some, it triggers depression and anxiety, and for others it can lead to substance abuse. It can also lead to financial problems, family tensions, and debt, as well as emotional and psychological trauma.
Many different types of gambling occur, from lottery draws to casino games and online betting. Some people may even make bets on sports events or other activities with their friends. For many, gambling is a social activity and the media portrays it as fun, exciting, glamorous, and fashionable. People may gamble for a variety of reasons, including boredom, depressive feelings, or an urge to escape from daily life.
In general, the more an individual gambles, the higher the chances of having a problem. Some individuals become addicted to gambling because the brain’s reward system is altered, resulting in over-stimulation and decreased levels of pleasure. This is why it’s important for anyone who wants to avoid a gambling addiction to seek help and try to find healthy ways of relieving unpleasant emotions.
For example, they can exercise, spend time with non-gambling friends, take up new hobbies, or practice relaxation techniques. Other people can benefit from counselling to explore the root causes of their problems, and from joining a peer support group for problem gamblers, such as Gamblers Anonymous, which is based on the 12-step recovery program for alcohol addicts. It is also crucial to set boundaries around managing money, by getting rid of credit cards, letting someone else manage their finances, closing online betting accounts, or putting aside allotted amounts of cash to spend on gambling each day.
Gambling research has largely been framed by models of individual behaviour and addiction, but there is a growing body of knowledge exploring wider socio-cultural factors that shape gambling. Harm reduction strategies could benefit from a shift towards taking into account these perspectives, as they could be designed to impact on the availability, form, and interplay of the various elements that comprise a gambling practice. This would involve addressing things such as the way in which neoliberalism, globalisation, liberalisation, markets and marketing, products, and technologies frame gambling practices, and how these are then performed by individuals.
