Gambling involves placing something of value on an uncertain event such as the roll of a dice, the spin of a roulette wheel, or the outcome of a race. Whether done on the sidelines of a sports event or inside a casino, gambling depends on risk and uncertainty. For some, it can be a fun and exciting way to spend money or time. For others, however, it can become an addiction. It can harm a person’s health, relationships and work or study performance and lead to serious debt and even homelessness. It can also cause a negative effect on family, friends and communities.
A person’s decision to gamble may be influenced by many factors including their age, socioeconomic status and level of education. In addition, some people can suffer from mental health issues and have a difficult time controlling their spending habits. They can also lose control over their emotions and become aggressive, depressed or suicidal. In fact, according to Public Health England, there are more than 400 suicides each year associated with problem gambling.
While there are many positive effects of gambling, it’s important to know the risks and make responsible choices. Here are some tips for gambling responsibly:
When you gamble, remember that you’re betting with other people’s money. Always tip your dealers regularly, either by handing them a chip and clearly saying “This is for you” or by placing a bet for them. Also, always tip your cocktail waitresses (give them a $1-$5 chip every time they come around). This way, you’ll avoid getting into trouble and you’ll have a better time at the casino.
In the past, psychiatry regarded pathological gambling as a form of compulsive behavior and included it in the category of impulse-control disorders, which also includes behaviors like kleptomania, pyromania and trichotillomania (hair pulling). But in the latest edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, compiled by the American Psychiatric Association, pathological gambling has been moved into the chapter on addictions.
The APA says that in some cases, pathological gambling is a real addiction that should be treated with the same care as other addictive substances, such as cocaine and heroin. Depending on the severity of the gambling addiction, treatment options may include counseling and inpatient or residential treatment programs.
In general, researchers focus on monetary costs and benefits when analyzing the impact of gambling. However, studies have been criticized for overlooking the social impacts of gambling, which are non-monetary in nature and are harder to quantify. Social impacts are defined by Walker and Williams as “costs that aggregate societal real wealth, cause harm to society and benefit no one” [32]. Despite the difficulty of measuring these social effects, it is important to address them in order to understand the true impact of gambling on society.