Gambling Disorders

Gambling involves placing a bet or risking money, property, or items of value with the aim of winning something of value – such as a jackpot prize or recognition – through any activity involving chance – from scratchcards and fruit machines to bets with friends and family. While some games such as poker require skill to win big at gambling, others rely solely on chance alone.

Most adults and adolescents gamble without issues; however, a small minority develop pathological gambling, defined as repeated and compulsive betting that results in significant distress or impairment. People affected by pathological gambling often experience negative repercussions including losing control of finances and relationships, engaging in criminal acts or even taking their own lives.

People suffering from gambling disorders often struggle to recognize the severity of their problem or seek assistance, denying or ignoring it and continuing to gamble even after losing a significant sum of money. Furthermore, they may use drugs and alcohol that interfere with their ability to reason and make decisions.

One key contributor to gambling disorder is easy access to gambling products. This may be provided through proximity of outlets in areas with higher levels of disadvantage or through advertising and promotion; availability of high-intensity products such as electronic gaming machines (EGMs) and online gambling sites increases likelihood of uptake; sponsorship deals associated with popular sports leagues/events further promote gambling; as well as being found social settings like bars/restaurants.

Many individuals are also exposed to risky marketing messages and are unable to interpret the odds of winning, leading them to place bets on games with higher than average payouts, or to gamble beyond what they can afford to lose – increasing the risks. Gambling also can trigger anxiety and depression.

Even though gambling poses many harmful effects, population-level interventions exist that can prevent or lessen them. Examples include universal pre-commitment (in which people set binding limits on time and money spent gambling) and self-exclusion systems. Reducing gambling-related harm requires proactive approaches that emphasize prevention rather than reacting after problems have already arisen. This approach must include decreasing stigmata, ensuring gambling is regulated, ceasing advertising and promotion activities related to gambling, and creating centralized account registration with loss limit settings so those engaging in gambling may set binding loss limits. Implementation should also involve preventing people from becoming engaged with gambling through employment and providing support to those struggling with addiction to gambling. Achieve these goals requires multisectoral collaboration; it will require time and commitment but is necessary for meeting Sustainable Development Goals.