Gambling is when a person puts something of value (such as money) at risk based on an outcome that is subject to chance. This includes lotteries, sports betting, casino games like poker and card games and electronic gaming machines. It can lead to serious problems, including debt and financial stress, family breakdown, mental illness and suicide. Those who experience gambling harm are also at higher risk of other health and social issues, and the legacy of harm can last throughout life and be passed down through generations.
It may seem counterintuitive that people would want to gamble, especially when the odds are stacked against them. However, gambling taps into the same psychological and emotional circuitry as religion: hope, belief, ritual and the deep human need to feel chosen. Moreover, the anticipation of possible positive outcomes activates a brain reward system that releases dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and excitement. And although the chances of winning are small, that small flicker of hope can still provide a momentary emotional uplift and help people cope with life’s more predictable disappointments.
Gambling is common and a highly profitable industry. Yet it also has the potential to have adverse personal and societal impacts, including addiction, criminal activity and suicide. Research has tended to focus on economic costs and benefits, which are easily quantifiable, but it should also consider the non-monetary costs and benefits such as social cohesion and quality of life. This approach is similar to the cost-benefit analysis used in drug research, but it requires that monetary value be assigned to harms that are not purely economic in nature and that affect others as well as the gambler themselves.