Gambling Taxonomy
Gambling is a recreational activity where people risk money or something of value to predict the outcome of a game involving chance. It can be a fun way to pass the time, but it can also lead to serious problems. It can damage your physical and mental health, cause relationship breakdowns, get you into trouble with the law, make you homeless or put your finances in danger.
Gamblers use their skills and resources to try to win money by betting on games, including lottery tickets and casino games. This can be done online, at land-based casinos and on mobile phones.
In modern society, gambling is a popular form of entertainment that can be found in nearly every country. Most forms of gambling involve placing a bet on an event, such as a horse race, sporting match or office pool.
Despite being illegal in some countries, gambling is more widespread than ever. In the United States, for example, over $10 trillion in money is legally wagered annually.
It’s not easy to stop gambling, but it’s important to learn about the risks and find ways to avoid them. If you are addicted, inpatient or residential treatment and rehabilitation programs may help.
You can also ask your family or friends for help. They might be willing to talk to you about their own experiences of gambling and help you set limits on it.
There are several factors that can make a person more likely to gamble, such as high stress levels or family history of addiction. Other factors that can increase the risk include a lack of self-esteem, anxiety, depression and other mental health issues.
If you think that a loved one is a problem gambler, it’s important to take them to see a doctor. Your doctor can give you advice on how to help them stay in control of their behaviour and prevent relapse.
Your doctor can also recommend treatments for gambling disorders and help you find the right treatment for you. They can also advise you on how to deal with the emotions that you might experience while dealing with a problem gambler, such as guilt or shame.
Using the taxonomy to identify harms from gambling
The harms that were identified within the gambling-related framework reflected the breadth of experiences and outcomes across multiple domains of people’s lives, which are consistent with social models of health. However, the harms could be highly subjective and difficult to define. This is because gambling is a behaviour and not a disease that follows a certain course.
These harms ranged from episodic to pervasive and varied based on the characteristics of the person who gambles, their affected others and the broader community.
Relationship harms were characterized as having an impact on the quality of relationships for the person who gambled and their affected others, and the impact of gambling on their family life. These harms included a reduction in time available for engagement in activities that are important to the person who gambles, such as work, recreation or other activities with their family or friends.