How Gambling Affects People’s Well-Being

While the majority of people gamble responsibly, some overindulge and become addicted to gambling. These compulsive gamblers are prone to incurring debts that impair their ability to work and support themselves or their families. These people can benefit from therapy. Family therapy, marriage counseling and credit counseling can help these individuals heal from the harm caused by their addiction to gambling. In addition, these therapies will also teach them healthy ways to cope with stress and anxiety.

Gambling can have negative impacts on people’s finances, relationships and health and well-being. These impacts can occur on personal, interpersonal and community/societal levels (Fig. 1). Personal and interpersonal impacts impact gamblers directly, while societal and community/societal impacts affect those outside of the gambling industry. For example, pathological gambling can lead to bankruptcy and homelessness. It can also lead to increased costs for police, hospitalization and crime. Gambling can also create benefits, such as tourism and increased revenues.

Many people use gambling as a way to self-soothe unpleasant feelings and relieve boredom. However, there are healthier and more effective ways to do this, such as exercising, spending time with friends who don’t gamble, or practicing relaxation techniques. It is also important to seek help for any underlying mood disorders, such as depression, stress or substance abuse. These disorders can be triggers for gambling problems or made worse by compulsive gambling. Gambling can also lead to socialization, which can be a good thing. In fact, some people enjoy using their share of the money to gamble and relax with friends.