Gambling is a form of risk-taking where a person stakes something valuable on an event that involves chance, such as putting money on their favourite football team to win or playing a scratchcard. While some skills can improve the chances of winning (for example, card-playing strategies), gambling involves a level of randomness that cannot be predicted.
Typically, when someone gambles they don’t think about the negative emotions they may experience when they lose. These include guilt, stress, regret and a sense of low self-esteem. In fact, when people gamble, their brains produce dopamine, the ‘feel-good’ neurotransmitter, which is why some people find it hard to stop.
There are many different types of gambling, ranging from social and recreational to pathological. The understanding of gambling has changed over time and individuals who experience adverse consequences from gambling are now viewed as having psychological problems, rather than a problem with their gambling behaviour.
If you’re worried about your own or someone else’s gambling habits, there are ways to get help and support. These include a range of therapies, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), which can teach you to change unhealthy gambling behaviors and thoughts, such as rationalizations and false beliefs. Treatment for underlying conditions can also be helpful, such as counselling or medication for depression or anxiety. Other treatments include family therapy, marriage and career counselling and credit and financial counseling. You can also join a peer support group, such as Gamblers Anonymous, which follows a similar format to Alcoholics Anonymous.