Gambling is an activity in which individuals place a value on an event that has a probability of occurring. While many individuals will gamble for entertainment, a small percentage of people will become addicted to gambling and experience negative personal, family, social and financial consequences as a result of their addiction. Gambling can take place in a variety of ways, such as casinos, horse racing, lottery games, online gaming and sports betting. Research suggests that when individuals start gambling too often, it overstimulates the brain’s reward system and changes their brain chemistry. This may make them more susceptible to developing a problem.
While some positive impacts of gambling have been observed, a majority of studies focus on the costs and losses associated with gambling. While it is important to measure the financial and labor impacts of gambling, it is equally important to examine the intangible personal, interpersonal and community/societal levels of impact. These include but are not limited to quality of life and psychological well-being.
Those who struggle with gambling addiction can find help and recovery through various methods. It is recommended that individuals seek the support of friends and family, as well as a professional counsellor. In addition, individuals should try to reduce the amount of time spent at gambling venues and replace these with other recreational activities. It is also a good idea to join a peer support group, such as Gamblers Anonymous, which follows the model of Alcoholics Anonymous.