Gambling is the practice of betting on something with a chance of winning or losing. It is commonly associated with gambling on sports events, but can also be used to wager on business or insurance.
People who gamble are more likely to experience negative consequences compared to those that do not. The negative impacts are often rooted in feelings of stress, depression or substance abuse.
Harmful Gambling can lead to a range of problems including relationship breakdown, family conflict, financial difficulties and poor mental health. It can also increase the risk of suicide.
Understanding harm from gambling is critical for prevention, intervention and treatment programs. This research aims to create a more holistic definition of gambling related harm that can be operationalised in public health measures and include the influence of comorbidities.
This study is based on a series of focus groups and interviews conducted with adults who had experienced gambling related harm. The participants were recruited via advertising on social media and grouped into three main categories: those who gambled (n = 11), affected others (n = 9) and both a person who gambles and an affected other (n = 5).
A broad range of harms were identified, which were shaped by the complex interaction of a variety of behavioural factors. These include: