Whether it’s buying a Lotto ticket, betting on horses or sports events, playing the pokies at your local pub or casino online, gambling involves risking something of value in an attempt to win something else of value. This can be a small amount of money, a large sum or even a life-changing jackpot. However, gambling is a high-risk activity and should be treated as such. If you are concerned that you or someone close to you has a gambling problem, seek help from a professional therapist.
Gambling has both negative and positive impacts on individuals, their significant others, communities and society. These impacts can be structuralized using a model of costs and benefits, where the former include financial, labor and health, and well-being impacts which manifest on personal, interpersonal and community/societal levels.
It can be difficult to identify when gambling becomes a problem, as gamblers often deny that they have a problem or try to minimise their losses by hiding evidence of their spending habits from those around them. In addition, the stigma surrounding gambling makes it harder to seek help. However, it’s important to remember that it is possible to break the cycle of gambling and regain control of your finances. The first step is acknowledging that you have a problem, which can be difficult, especially for people who have already lost a lot of money and strained relationships in the process. But it’s important to know that there is hope and many people have successfully overcome gambling problems.