Gambling involves wagering something of value, such as money or material valuables, on a random event that is determined largely by chance. It is estimated that approximately $10 trillion in money is legally wagered worldwide each year (illegal gambling may exceed this amount). Gambling involves a significant risk of harm and is often associated with other forms of substance abuse, including psychiatric disorders such as alcohol and drug addiction.
Whether gambling is addictive or not depends on the person’s personal and environmental factors. Some people have a higher risk of developing harmful gambling behaviour than others. For example, some people live in areas where there are many casinos and gambling facilities. Others have family members who gamble and who may influence the person’s exposure and attitude towards gambling.
A number of studies have shown that people with pathological gambling can be effectively treated. Some of these studies show that when a person is exposed to gambling stimuli, their brain activity spikes in a way that does not occur in recreational or social gamblers. Some of these studies also show that when a person experiences an emotional crisis while gambling, their brain activity is affected in ways that do not occur in non-gamblers.
Despite this, it is difficult to identify the prevalence of pathological gambling, as it is not reported to be a significant concern by most people who gamble. Those who have problems with gambling are often reluctant to seek help and they may hide their problem from friends and family. They may also try to conceal their gambling activities by lying to others about the amount of time and money they spend on gambling.