Gambling involves risking money or something of value to predict the outcome of an event based on chance, such as betting on sports teams or buying scratchcards. It can be very addictive and has many negative impacts on people’s lives. Problem gambling can affect all types of gamblers, regardless of age, gender or income level.

While most people gamble without problems, a small proportion develops gambling disorder, which is defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) as persistent, recurrent patterns of gambling that cause significant distress or impairment. It is important to understand how the brain reacts to gambling, and factors that may provoke problematic gambling behaviour.

Although gambling is a popular pastime, many people do not realize that it can have serious repercussions on their lives and those around them. Some people have a predisposition to addiction because of genetics, a disrupted reward system, or impulsivity. They can also be influenced by their culture, which can influence how they interpret risk and rewards, or how they make decisions.

Aside from financial impacts, which can include changes in wealth and income, there are other social costs of gambling that impact a person’s quality of life. These include family and community, employment, health and well-being. Often, these social costs are overlooked in studies because they are not measurable with existing economic costing methods. However, they can be measured with health-related quality of life (HRQL) weights or disability weights, which are standardized across populations.