Gambling Impacts From a Public Health Perspective

Gambling is an activity in which someone risks something of value on an activity that involves a large degree of chance in the hope of realizing a profit. It has been a part of virtually all societies since prerecorded history and is present in numerous customs, rites, and rituals. Gambling is a common activity that can lead to various negative impacts on the gambler, his/her significant others, and the community/society at large.

A significant portion of the social impact research on gambling has focused on the personal and interpersonal levels, where costs are nonmonetary in nature and occur within the gambler’s immediate circle. In contrast, external society/community level costs are primarily monetary in nature and include general gambling related costs/benefits, costs associated with problem gambling, and long-term cost.

Among the monetary gambling-related costs that can be measured, the most significant are financial strains and debt, which often escalate into bankruptcy and homelessness, and the effect of addiction on family members’ quality of life. In addition, the loss of income from gambling often leads to a reduction in household expenses, which may lead to increased stress and anxiety for gamblers and their significant others.

To assess the overall cost/benefit of gambling, researchers have used a variety of approaches. These include a health-related quality of life weighting approach, commonly applied in alcohol and drug research, as well as an economic cost-benefit analysis in which monetary value is assigned to intangible harms and benefits in terms of changes in wellbeing. This article reviews complementing and contrasting methodologies and proposes a conceptual model in which gambling impacts are assessed from a public health perspective.