Gambling can be fun and exciting, but it can also be a problem. It can affect your mental health, relationships, work or study performance, get you into trouble with the law and leave you in debt.
Gamblers can be addicted to gambling and find it hard to control their spending. They might need to gamble more money in order to feel a sense of excitement and get the “rush” from it.
The main reasons people gamble include:
Social (e.g. a group of friends get together and play a game).
Financial (e.g. a person enjoys thinking about what they would do if they won a jackpot) and Entertainment (e.g. a person likes the feeling of excitement).
Shame and stigma
The most pervasive types of emotional and psychological distress were shame and stigma. They existed as initial harms, second or further order harms, and affected both the person who gambled and their affective network. These were particularly linked to suicidal ideation and attempts. They impacted on the broader community through reducing levels of self worth and social connectedness.