Gambling is any activity that involves a chance to win money or prizes. This can be done in a number of ways, including buying lotto tickets, placing bets on sporting events or playing the pokies.

Benefits of gambling

The benefits of gambling are not limited to winning big money; they also include health, social and economic advantages. These advantages include reducing stress, anxiety and worry, and improving physical and mental health.

Costs of gambling

The impacts of gambling on individuals, families and the broader society can be assessed from different approaches. For example, a cost of illness approach measures the negative effects of gambling on gamblers and their families, while a public health approach assesses both the harms and positive outcomes.

Temporal level costs and impacts of gambling can be categorized into general impacts, impacts of problem gambling, and long-term impacts. The general impacts are monetary in nature and usually affect non-problematic (recreational) gamblers or their family members, while the problem impacts are more severe and materialize on personal, interpersonal and community/society levels.

Whether you are thinking about gambling or already have a gambling problem, it is important to seek help. This could involve talking to a doctor or therapist, or using medication and lifestyle changes. These will help you overcome your addiction and solve financial, work and relationship problems caused by your gambling habits. You can also strengthen your support network and find support groups like Gamblers Anonymous, which is a 12-step program modeled after Alcoholics Anonymous.