Gambling is a risky activity that involves wagering something of value on an uncertain event with the intent to win something else of value. It can result in the depletion of an individual’s savings, stealing from family and friends, lying to loved ones, jeopardizing employment, education or relationships, and even compromising health and safety. It can also cause financial stress, leading to bankruptcy and homelessness. It can be hard to understand how a person could continue to gamble, despite the negative consequences.
Identifying the triggers to gambling is an important step in breaking the habit. Avoiding these triggers can help, including taking an alternate route to work if your usual one goes past a casino or changing the channel when watching sports. Another strategy is to plan ahead by leaving credit cards and nonessential cash at home, and limiting the amount of money you carry when going out. In addition, it is helpful to challenge unhealthy thinking habits such as the illusion of control and irrational beliefs, which can increase compulsive gambling.
While many people gamble for fun and are able to stop at any time, others experience difficulty controlling their gambling. They may secretly gamble, lie about how much they spend and be unable to stop. This behaviour can affect a person’s life, leading to depression, guilt, anxiety and a range of other symptoms. It can also affect their relationship with other family members and friends, leading to isolation. Some people become addicted to gambling and cannot stop, leading them to steal from their families, lie, cheat and even become homeless in order to fund their addiction.
Some people are motivated to gamble by the social interaction they have at gambling venues. Others are mainly driven by the desire to win money, and some use gambling as a form of escape. People who have a problem with gambling can find it difficult to quit the habit, but they can help themselves by avoiding triggers, talking to a trusted friend or a professional counsellor and finding new ways to socialise and feel entertained.
A person’s involvement in gambling has a wide impact on the community, including a loss of income, increased debt and strained family relationships. Negative impacts can be felt at the personal, interpersonal and community/societal levels, and they have long-term effects on individuals and families. They are often difficult to measure and, as a result, have been overlooked in research. This article proposes a methodology for measuring the social impacts of gambling, based on the idea that these impacts aggregate societal real wealth and are non-monetary in nature, as explained by Walker and Williams [32]. It is essential that they are considered when evaluating the costs and benefits of gambling. This is a key step in moving from a focus on economic costs and benefits to a more holistic view of the problem. This will enable policymakers to make more informed decisions when implementing gambling policies and measures.