Gambling is when you stake something valuable in a game of chance or skill, such as money, in the hope of winning more than you put in. It can be a fun way to pass the time or it can lead to more serious problems, such as gambling disorder.
How to stop gambling
If you’re worried about gambling, there are support and self-help services available. They can help you to cut down or stop gambling altogether, depending on the service you use.
Benefit-cost analysis can help determine whether the costs of gambling are larger than the benefits. It can also help identify the effects of gambling on society.
Costs of problem gambling include criminal justice system costs, social service costs, lost productivity for workers who are addicted, and emotional pain and loss for family members.
The economic impact of gambling is difficult to assess, due to the complex nature of defining and quantifying direct and indirect costs. Most studies focus on a single aspect of the economic effect, such as revenues and expenditures at casino establishments, or taxes paid by casinos.
Generally, they do not attempt to measure expenditure substitution effects, the possibility that spending on one type of gambling would have been spent on another local activity.
Some studies have attempted to estimate the net economic effect of gambling by attempting to account for transfer effects. This is often difficult, as one expenditure can displace or substitute for another.