Gambling is an activity where a person bets money on the outcome of an event. It is a risky behavior, but some people enjoy the thrill of winning and losing. While some individuals may be able to control their gambling habits, others find it hard to stop and can become addicted to the activity. In addition, many people find themselves in debt because of gambling and sometimes lose their homes and their jobs. Despite its negative impacts, some people also gain from gambling, especially when they play online games, which offer large jackpots and high payouts.
The positive and negative effects of gambling can be structuralized using a model that divides the impacts into costs and benefits. These impacts manifest at the personal, interpersonal and society/community levels (Fig. 1). Costs and benefits can be classified into three classes: financial, labor and health and well-being. Financial impacts include changes in the economic situation of gamblers, such as gambling revenues and effects on other sectors of the economy. Labor impacts include changes in the work performance of gamblers and the effect of gambling on employment, whereas health and well-being impacts affect the physical and psychological condition of gamblers.
In a study conducted by the Responsible Gambling Council, senior citizens who gambled reported higher happiness levels and lower depression and stress than nongambling seniors. In addition, the research indicated that gambling can provide a sense of community and belonging among seniors. In addition, it can help raise funds for charities and boost local economies. However, it is important to note that the positive effects of gambling should be balanced with the negatives.
Many studies focus on the social and economic costs of gambling, but few have examined the positive aspects. One approach is to use a cost-benefit analysis, similar to that used in alcohol and drug research; this method gives monetary value to the harms of gambling and compares them with gains to quality of life. Another approach is to analyze the impacts from a public health perspective, which examines costs and benefits at all severity levels of gambling and takes into account the positive effects of it.
Finally, a third way to examine the impacts of gambling is to focus on the impact that gambling has on a specific population, such as children and families. The results of these studies show that the majority of gamblers are not problem gamblers, and so focusing on this subset of the population ignores the benefits of gambling for most of society. In addition, the costs and benefits of gambling must be compared with those of other activities that are similarly harmful. Moreover, the impacts of gambling should be analyzed in light of other policies that aim to reduce the risks of gambling and promote healthy behaviors. This is particularly important because the social, economic and health impacts of gambling are largely indirect. This makes the impact of gambling difficult to measure, but a proper methodology is necessary to understand its full effects.