Gambling is a popular pastime that can have both negative and positive effects on people’s lives. For some, it is a fun way to socialise with friends and family in an enjoyable setting, while for others it can become a serious addiction. It is important to understand the different types of gambling, what can cause a problem and how to seek help.
The social impacts of gambling can be observed on personal, interpersonal and community/societal levels (Fig 1). Personal impacts include invisible, non-monetary costs that gamblers pay themselves. These can include stress, time-consuming activities and other indirect expenses. Interpersonal impacts involve harms to those closest to the gambler. These can include the financial burden of gambling, including debts and other financial stress, as well as negative consequences for relationships with family members and friends. The societal/community impacts involve externalities that affect communities and society as a whole. These may include costs related to gambling, such as tax revenue and tourism, as well as economic opportunities that are lost or gained as a result of gambling.
Many studies have focused on measuring monetary costs and benefits of gambling, but this overlooks the fact that the social impacts of gambling are significant. For example, the cost of illness approach used in alcohol and drug research ignores the benefits side of the equation. Other measures that attempt to quantify social impact use a “consumer surplus” concept, attempting to assign a monetary value to benefits that are not necessarily measurable in dollars. This approach is flawed because it is not based on an objective definition of what constitutes a benefit or a cost.
Another social benefit of gambling is that it occupies a large number of idle societal members, preventing them from engaging in criminal activities like burglary, robbery, and drug peddling. This has been credited for reducing crime rates in some areas.
While most individuals who gamble do so responsibly and enjoy it, some can get addicted to the adrenaline rush and end up with unmanageable debts. In such cases, it is important to seek help as soon as possible. The risk of suicide is high for those with severe gambling problems, but there are treatments available, such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and peer support groups.
Gambling can also provide a range of mental development skills, such as pattern recognition, critical thinking, maths and decision-making. It is also a good way to socialize with friends in an informal setting and can provide a healthy alternative to watching television. Some games, such as blackjack and poker, require more than one player, which can improve social interaction.
If you’re struggling with gambling, talk to your GP or find NHS support here. It’s also important to surround yourself with supportive people and try new activities that don’t involve gambling. This can be difficult, but there are ways to make it happen – you could start by joining a book club, a sports team or volunteering for a charity. You might also consider a peer-support group such as Gamblers Anonymous, which follows a 12-step recovery program modeled on Alcoholics Anonymous.