What is Gambling?
Gambling is an activity in which you stake something of value for the chance to win more. It can take many forms, including sports betting, poker games, lottery tickets and online casinos. Even if you only gamble occasionally, it can be addictive. It is also possible to develop a gambling problem if you have a medical condition such as depression, alcoholism or anxiety, or if you are under significant stress in your life.
In recent years, the way we understand gambling has changed. We have moved away from seeing it merely as an entertainment pursuit and toward viewing it as an activity that has psychologically harmful consequences for some people. This shift has been reflected in, or stimulated by, changes in the diagnosis of pathological gambling in the various editions of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), published by the American Psychiatric Association.
The term ‘gambling’ covers a wide range of activities, from private gambling at home to public gambling in casinos and other venues. Some forms of gambling involve real money and others don’t – for example, wagers on a football game between friends may be conducted with marbles or collectible gaming pieces such as Magic: The Gathering cards or pogs. Some people are secretive about their gambling, hiding their bets or lying to family and friends. Often, these people are addicted to gambling and have a hard time stopping.
A key feature of gambling is its addictiveness, and there are a number of factors that contribute to this. They include: the expectation that an early big win can be replicated, boredom susceptibility, impulsivity, poor understanding of random events, use of escape coping, and stress-related mood disorders such as depression or anxiety.
There are a number of ways to help someone with a gambling problem, from self-help to specialist treatment and rehabilitation programmes. In the latter, an individual can be supported around-the-clock to break their addiction and get back on track in their lives. In some cases, this can be done in a residential setting.
It is important to remember that if you are worried about a loved one’s gambling, they did not choose it and they probably don’t realise how addictive it is for them. They may have a strong desire to win and to feel good about themselves, but this is rarely enough to overcome the underlying problems that lead them to gamble in the first place. In fact, the early wins can often make a person more prone to addiction, because they tend to expect similar results in future, and are less willing to accept negative outcomes. This is because they have been conditioned by the early winnings. They have also learnt to associate a negative outcome with the risk of losing more. This makes them keep trying, and even to increase their bets in a bid to win the lost money back. The end result is that they lose more and more, and this can lead to serious financial difficulties and health issues.