Gambling is a popular pastime, but can become a serious problem for some. If you think you may be developing a gambling problem, it’s important to seek help and advice. There are many organisations that offer support, assistance and counselling for people with gambling problems. They can help you to control your gambling or even stop it altogether.
Historically, the word “gambling” has meant taking risks for a financial gain without using skills (Devereux, 1979). Today, however, the word also refers to wagering money or other belongings on events with uncertain outcomes, such as betting on a football team to win a match or buying a scratchcard. The first step in gambling is choosing what to bet on – it could be a specific football team or the outcome of a lottery event. This choice is then matched to the ‘odds’, which are set by the betting company and determine how much you might get if you win.
The odds are based on the likelihood of winning, and are calculated by adding up all the probabilities of an event happening. For example, the chances of a player picking a winning horse are 1 in 9. In addition to the odds, there are a number of other factors that affect the probability of winning, including the size and value of the prize. For example, if the prize is very large, then the chance of winning is much lower than if it were a smaller sum.
As a result, there are a variety of opinions about whether or not gambling is an addictive activity. Some academics, psychiatric professionals and treatment care clinicians consider gambling to be an addiction, while others do not.
There is a lot of work to do in the area of studying the effects of gambling on society. The methodology for estimating net positive effects is fairly well established, but more research is needed to estimate the costs of pathological gambling. It is especially difficult to quantify these costs in dollar terms, but some progress has been made in this area (Volberg, 1998).
Attempting to measure the effects of gambling can be complicated by a lack of consensus about the criteria that defines an addiction. This is particularly true for pathological gambling, which does not fit neatly into the categories of substance abuse or dependency in the DSM diagnostic manual.
If you are concerned about the amount of time and money you are spending on gambling, it’s important to talk to a family member or a friend. They can support you and help you to find healthier ways of relieving boredom or unpleasant feelings. For example, you might try exercising or socialising with friends who don’t gamble. You can also try meditation, breathing exercises and mindfulness techniques to calm your mind and improve your focus.