Most people who gamble do so without a problem, but a small percentage develop gambling disorder (or “pathological gambling,” as it is known in the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders). Pathological gambling can cause emotional distress, relationship problems, financial difficulties, and even legal troubles. People who have a gambling disorder may be at particular risk for developing alcohol or substance abuse issues. The disorder can also impact their family members and their children’s well-being. People who start gambling as teens or young adults may be particularly susceptible. Among those who develop gambling disorders, men are more likely than women.
Understanding what makes some people vulnerable to developing a gambling problem could help to shape future research efforts in this area. Some scholars have compared it to alcoholism, and the development of a new nomenclature for this type of behaviour – including a classification within the DSM – has highlighted similarities with substance misuse. However, the way in which we think about gambling and its harms has been limited by the narrow view that we hold of it as an individual behaviour.
There is a growing corpus of literature which frames gambling as a socio-cultural phenomenon, with a range of influences shaping and influencing gambling behaviour. While the majority of gambling harm reduction initiatives remain focused on a focus on individual psychological and economic models of behaviour, these new approaches are valuable in considering how a wider set of factors might influence individual behaviour.
A growing body of research into gambling reflects how social constructs such as mateship, winning and success, thrill and adventure, and hedonism are all heavily promoted by the global gaming industry. Such constructs are central to many of the underlying ideologies that have come to underpin the current global gambling landscape and are facilitated by various forces such as commercialisation, liberalisation and marketisation.
These forces have impacted on the ways that people engage with and perform gambling, and how the landscape is being increasingly shaped by new technologies, virtual spaces and environments. Moreover, such developments have contributed to the emergence of a global industry that combines traditional land-based casinos and bookmakers with a diverse array of mobile apps, websites, and fixed odds betting terminals.
This diverse social landscape offers new opportunities for gambling, but also presents challenges for those working to reduce the risks associated with such activity. These include the growing number of people using mobile devices to access gambling sites, and the increasing prevalence of VIP schemes, loyalty based programmes and advertising that encourages gambling in a variety of different spaces.
There are a number of things that you can do to help avoid getting into trouble with gambling. First, try not to gamble with money that you need for essentials like bills and rent. It is also important to balance gambling with other activities, such as spending time with friends and family or taking up a hobby. Finally, never gamble on credit and don’t chase your losses, as this can only lead to bigger problems in the future.