Gambling is any type of risk-taking, whether it’s betting on a football team to win a game or buying a scratchcard. It’s a form of entertainment, which contributes a significant percentage to the GDP of many countries around the world. However, it can be an addictive behaviour if not controlled. While most people gamble in a responsible manner, some develop a gambling disorder, which is defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders as a persistent, recurrent pattern of problematic gambling activity that causes distress or impairment.

It’s important to understand how gambling affects people, so that we can help those in need. It’s also helpful to understand the causes of gambling problems. These include factors such as genetic predisposition, brain chemical imbalances, and the role of culture in how people view gambling and what constitutes a problem.

Moreover, it is also important to recognize that there are many external impacts of gambling. These can be at the personal, interpersonal and society/community level. Personal and interpersonal levels of impact are mostly nonmonetary, such as a gambler’s increased debt that puts pressure on family members. Society/community level impacts, such as loss of jobs in the casino industry and increase in homelessness and bankruptcy, are largely monetary.

Gambling is a risk-taking activity that provides excitement and a sense of achievement. However, it is often used as a form of escape and can be used to satisfy basic needs such as pleasure, status, power and belonging. This is why it is easy for some people to fall into the trap of gambling addiction.