Gambling is a complex activity, and it can cause harm. It can erode relationships and families, contribute to poverty, promote crime (especially theft, fraud, and money laundering), undermine civil institutions, and increase health risks. It can also result in psychological distress and suicide. Harms from gambling are increasing, especially as globalization and digitization accelerate the normalization of the activity. This increase is facilitated by sponsorship, advertising, and aggressive promotion of gambling products in popular and social media. It is also exacerbated by the relative ease of access to gambling products in places of high disadvantage and by the widespread availability of mobile phones that facilitate gambling.
Almost any game of chance or skill in which an individual stakes something of value for the opportunity to win more than they spent on the bet is considered gambling. This includes betting on a football match, buying a lottery ticket, or playing scratchcards. It also includes putting money in a casino, placing bets in fantasy leagues, online poker, and even DIY investing.
Some people who gamble become addicted to the activity. Compulsive gambling is associated with a range of problems, including relationship breakdown, family violence, financial stress and anxiety, depression, and mental illness. It can also interfere with work, study and sleep. It is most common in younger and middle age, and it may be linked to a history of childhood or teenage gambling. It is also more common in men than women.
About 1% of adults meet DSM-IV criteria for pathological gambling, while another 2.5 million have mild to moderate gambling problems. In addition, 5-8 million individuals may have had a pathological gambling disorder at some point in their lives, but do not currently meet DSM-IV criteria for the condition. These people are known as recovering pathological gamblers.
The causes of gambling disorders are complex, and include biological, behavioral and sociological factors. Biological factors include brain chemistry, and there is evidence that the risk of developing an addiction increases with gambling intensity, frequency and age. Psychological and sociological factors, such as an inclination to take risks, a tendency to seek rewards, and poor problem-solving skills are also important.
Prevention and intervention are essential to reduce gambling-related harm. Population-wide interventions are needed, such as centralized account registration to require those who gamble to set binding loss limits and restrictions on the accessibility of gambling facilities (e.g. opening hours, density). Treatment is also necessary, but stigma and shame often prevent its uptake. Governments should ensure the effectiveness of prevention and treatment measures, including universal pre-commitment systems that allow individuals to set binding time and money spending limits and self-exclusion from gambling providers. Voluntary systems are typically ineffective. Efforts to reduce gambling harm must be combined with intergovernmental cooperation to protect consumers from unregulated practices and capture lawful taxation revenues. In this way, governments can help to promote health and well-being and support sustainable development. The International Gambling Control Commission is working to do this through a number of initiatives.