Gambling is the act of placing a bet on a game, event or outcome with the expectation of winning money. It is a common pastime and many people enjoy it, but for some, gambling can become a problem that can affect their relationships, performance at work or study, get them into trouble with the law and leave them in debt.
Mental health problems are often linked to gambling problems, so it is important to speak to your doctor if you feel that you may be at risk of a problem. They can help you with coping techniques and can offer support in cutting back on your gambling.
Harm from gambling impacts people, their families and their communities. It can lead to serious physical and mental health issues, causing harm to their relationships, performance at work or study and even to their finances and home life.
The broader population is also affected by gambling, with over half of the population in the UK gambling at some point. They can be the victims of a problem gambler’s actions or they could end up in financial difficulties and homeless.
In this context, it is essential that the public understand the harms of gambling so that they can be aware of what to do if someone they know has a problem with gambling. The UK government has published information about gambling and its effects, including a website for people who want to find out more about it.
To ensure that we have a robust and inclusive international definition of gambling harm, we need to consider the different types of harms that are associated with gambling. This will provide a basis for assessing the potential impacts of policy and service development.
Types of harm were identified as ranging from general financial, relationship and psychological harms to a more specific group of harms associated with the person who gambled (the index case), those they affected and the broader community. These harms were defined by their level of severity, the breadth and complexity of their impact.
For example, those who gambled for a long time and experienced financial loss had a higher level of harm than those who only had a short-term problem and were able to manage their income and expenses. These harms were not unique to gambling, and had a strong relationship with other types of behaviours that can cause loss and damage to a person’s finances or credit rating, such as smoking, drinking and drug taking.
Relationship harms impacted on those who engaged with gambling to the extent that they lost contact with or did not have enough time with a partner, spouse, child, family member or friend. This loss of relationship or time was usually experienced as an episodic or a pervasive impact, and impacted on the affected other as well as the person who gambled.
Psychological harms were a wide range of emotional or psychological symptoms that accompanied gambling and often reflected the individual’s perception of themselves, their own self-image, the way they related to others and their feelings about their personal worth. These included anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts.