The most common forms of gambling are betting on sporting events, lotteries, and casino games. Other forms include playing poker, online sports betting and fantasy leagues, scratch tickets, and DIY investing (as long as it involves putting something of value on a random event with the intent to win). Gambling is considered a risky activity because the likelihood of losing can be very high. However, most people who engage in gambling do not have a problem. Nevertheless, some individuals get too involved in gambling and experience significant negative social, family, and financial consequences. These individuals are characterized as having pathological gambling.
Gambling is a behavior that changes the reward pathway in your brain, and just like drugs, it can lead to addiction. It also denies the biblical work ethic that links honest labor with reward and can encourage laziness. It can also be an outlet for stress and anxiety, and it can be a way to meet other needs such as the need for status and/or belonging.
In addition, gambling is highly addictive and can be harmful to a person’s health. It is estimated that 2.5 million U.S adults (1%) have a severe gambling disorder, and another 5-8 million (2-3%) meet some criteria for pathological gambling. Because of its prevalence and addictive potential, evaluating patients’ gambling behaviors should be an important part of medical care. However, screening for pathological gambling can be challenging because many healthcare professionals lack training in this area.