Gambling involves risking something of value on an activity that is primarily chance in the hope of realizing a profit. It has existed in virtually every society since prerecorded history and is a part of many local customs and rites of passage. While the majority of people engage in gambling for recreational and fun reasons, a small percentage become addicted to gambling and experience significant personal, family, and financial problems as a result. A number of behavioral and neurobiological studies have characterized the problems of gamblers, but no one-size-fits-all nomenclature exists to categorize the disorder. Research scientists, psychiatrists, other treatment care clinicians, and public policy makers all frame the problem differently, reflecting their disciplinary training and world view.
The economic benefits of gambling include job creation, increased consumer spending, and taxes that help to fund public services. However, the costs of gambling also have an impact on local economies. For example, construction of a casino may require the destruction of a wetland, which must then be replaced elsewhere in order to maintain environmental regulations. These types of intangible impacts are often omitted from the consideration of gambling-related economic analysis, which is a major shortcoming of the field.
Regardless of the type of gambling, there are several key psychological processes that occur. The first is a cognitive process, whereby the gambler must evaluate their own and other’s chances of winning and lose. A second, emotional process occurs when the gambler is assessing their own feelings about losing and winning. Finally, a physiological reaction, such as the release of dopamine, occurs in the brain as a result of winning or losing.
While most people engage in gambling for entertainment and fun, a minority become dependent on the activity and experience serious negative consequences for themselves and their families. These people are described as problem gamblers and can have a range of psychiatric and social problems, including depression, anxiety, and substance use disorders.
A growing body of research demonstrates that there are effective treatments for problem gambling, including cognitive behavioral therapy and abstinence from gambling. These therapies can help people learn healthier and more productive ways of managing unpleasant emotions and relieving boredom, such as exercising, spending time with friends who don’t gamble, or practicing relaxation techniques.
The economic, interpersonal, and societal impacts of gambling can be structuralized in a conceptual model that categorizes the impacts into positive and negative; costs and benefits; and personal, interpersonal, and community/societal levels. Most of the literature to date has focused on analyzing economic impacts, which are largely quantifiable, and have not given much attention to examining the interpersonal and societal impacts, which are less easily measured and have been overlooked in studies of gambling.