Gambling is a common pastime and it helps the economy of countries where it is practised. It also provides employment opportunities to a number of people, especially in gambling venues.

However, it is not without its drawbacks. It can cause mental health problems for some, as it can trigger addictive behaviours like gambling addiction, impulsiveness and thrill-seeking. It can also lead to stress and depression. It is important to be aware of the risks associated with gambling so that one can take steps to prevent or manage them.

The main reason why people gamble is to win money. They make bets and wagers on the outcome of a game, a race or a sports event. When they win, their brain releases dopamine which reinforces the behaviour and makes them want to keep doing it. Depending on their culture, they may also think of gambling as a fun activity and find it difficult to admit that they have a problem.

People who gamble can experience a range of impacts, negative and positive, on themselves, their significant others and society/community at large. These impacts can be structuralized using a framework that divides them into cost and benefit categories, with each category consisting of several classes. Negative costs are grouped into financial, labor and health, while positive benefits are categorized as leisure time, self-esteem, and social functioning/wellbeing. Each class can further be subdivided into temporal and severity levels. The most severe impacts can result in a change in life course and even pass between generations, while the less severe ones are likely to be confined to individual gamblers or their significant others.