Whether buying a lottery ticket, placing a bet on sports or the horses or playing the pokies, gambling involves risking something of value (either money or an asset) with the potential for a prize win. It’s important to understand how Gambling works, so you can gamble safely and avoid harm.
Historically, the word “gamble” has been used to describe any activity that involves the chance of winning or losing a prize. This has included everything from a person betting against their own team in a game to a business taking a gamble on an untried product (i.e., ‘I’m betting this new technology is going to be a big hit’). The concept of a gamble has also been applied to the use of insurance, whereby a premium is paid in exchange for a promise that a loss is covered. However, there are differences between the two activities: The actuarial process used by insurers to determine appropriate premiums is not the same as the ‘informed choice’ made by gamblers who select their bets in order to obtain positive expected returns (see below).
People gamble for many reasons. Some do it for fun, and others to relieve unpleasant feelings or socialize with friends. The chance of winning is a significant motivation, as is the feeling of euphoria that comes with a win. A study published in International Gambling Studies found that people often gamble to change their moods, as it triggers the brain’s reward system.
Problem gamblers experience negative effects such as anxiety, depression, and a lack of self-control. They often lie to family members and therapists about their gambling, and may steal or commit other illegal acts in order to fund their habit. They may even jeopardize their relationship or job to pursue gambling. Pathological gambling (PG) has a strong link to suicide, so it is very important that people with a PG diagnosis seek help.
The definition of a gambling disorder has evolved over time, and the latest edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) defines it as an impulse control disorder with a core feature being that gambling causes significant problems. This change from an addiction to a disorder is in part due to the high rate of comorbidity between PG and substance abuse disorders, as well as a shift in the view that a gambling disorder is an underlying cause of other psychiatric problems.
Longitudinal studies of gambling disorder are becoming increasingly common, but a number of obstacles remain. There are financial, logistical, and ethical barriers to conducting longitudinal studies. In addition, a person’s response to gambling will vary across time periods, and this can confound results.
Research has shown that the more a person gambles, the more likely they are to develop a gambling disorder. It is also known that women tend to develop a PG diagnosis at a faster rate than men, and that adolescent pathological gamblers often report experiencing more severe problems with strategic and face-to-face forms of gambling, such as card games or roulette.