Gambling involves risking something of value – like money or property – on an event with some element of chance, where the outcome isn’t necessarily known. It can range from buying a ticket for a football match to scratching the numbers on a fruit machine. Gambling requires consideration, risk and a prize. It’s important to know what you’re getting into when gambling, and it’s also important to understand how gambling can affect the brain.
Gambling isn’t always a bad thing. It can be a fun way to spend time, and it can teach you some skills that you can use in other parts of your life. However, some people can get addicted to gambling and it’s important to recognise the signs that you or someone else is a problem gambler.
Problem gambling can affect anyone, and it can have a huge impact on those close to them. It is estimated that one problem gambler can affect up to seven other people. This can include family members, children, friends and work colleagues.
The behaviour of a person with a gambling problem can vary, but some common features are:
A pattern of excessive and uncontrollable gambling that causes distress, financial ruin or social dysfunction. Problem gambling can occur at any age, but it is more prevalent in older people. Those with a gambling problem may have a history of alcohol or drug abuse and may experience depression or stress. The disorder is associated with an alteration in the normal functioning of the reward system of the brain, and there are genetic and biological predispositions to addiction.
People with a gambling problem often have difficulty judging the consequences of their actions, and can easily fall into dangerous patterns that lead to serious harm. They can become preoccupied with the next possible win, and find it difficult to stop gambling even when they’re losing a lot of money. This is because of their tendency to overestimate their chances of winning, based on their memory of earlier successes. They often think that they can control the outcome of a game by using strategies such as throwing dice in certain ways or wearing a lucky charm.
People who gamble heavily can become reliant on the rewarding effects of dopamine, which are released by the brain when you win. When you do win, the brain sends a message to other parts of the body to release more dopamine. This makes you feel excited, and it’s why people keep playing when they lose, to try to experience this feeling again. However, the brain can get used to this, and it can take a lot of losses before a person realises that their gambling is out of control. This can cause them to hide their gambling activity or lie about it, in order to avoid the guilt that they are causing themselves and those around them. They may also be secretive about how much they are spending or hiding money from their families and loved ones.