stopassistedsuicide Gambling is the wagering of something of value, with consciousness of risk and hope of gain, on an uncertain outcome based on chance or skill. The term gambler is also used to refer to someone with a gambling problem. Problem gambling can have devastating effects on individuals, families and communities. The good news is that help is available for those struggling with a gambling addiction.
People who have a problem with gambling may lose control of their money, time and relationships. They may experience stress, anxiety and depression. They may even be at risk of suicide. Gambling can be particularly harmful for some groups of people, including adolescents, veterans and older adults. In addition, people who have a mental health condition are at increased risk of gambling-related harms.
The prevalence and harms of gambling are a growing concern for governments and industry. The global expansion of the gambling industry is fuelled by easy access to products, and especially high-intensity ones such as electronic machines, through new commercial associations with sports leagues, colocation in social settings and aggressive promotion via television, online and other media. These factors contribute to the normalization of gambling and increase uptake in at-risk populations.
While research on gambling has focused on its economic impacts, other forms of harms are equally important. A number of studies use a “cost-of-illness” perspective to measure costs and benefits of gambling, but this ignores non-monetary harms (Williams et al., 2015). A more holistic approach, using a public health framework, considers both costs and benefits of gambling at the individual, family, and community levels.
At the individual level, costs include financial harms such as loss of money and other assets, changes in personal wealth, debt accumulation and bankruptcy. They can also include harms to others such as relationship issues, job losses and poor performance at work. At the family level, cost can include disruptions in everyday life, arguments and feelings of anger, guilt and shame. At the community/community level, benefits can include gambling revenues, tourism and other business impacts, changes in infrastructure costs or values.
A key harm of gambling is its denial of the biblical work ethic, which links honest labour with reward. It can also promote laziness, which is condemned in Scripture (2 Thessalonians 3:10). Gambling is also an idolatry, as it enthrones personal desires above God’s sovereignty (1 Corinthians 6:5). It is a form of escapism that can lead to a loss of meaning and purpose in life (Romans 14:23). In addition, it glorifies superstition and luck while denying God’s sovereign hand over the world and our lives. As such, it violates the first and second commandments.