Gambling is a risk-taking activity where money or something of value is staked on the outcome, usually an event determined by chance. It includes games of chance such as card, fruit and video-draw poker machines, table or dice games, horse and dog racing, football accumulators, lotteries and DIY investing. It also involves speculation – betting on businesses, sports teams or other events such as elections and lottery draws. The world’s total legal gambling turnover is estimated to be around $10 trillion per year.

A person may become addicted to gambling for a variety of reasons. They can be attracted to the excitement of winning or they might start to feel better about themselves and their life when they are gambling. Problem gamblers can be found at all ages, from children as young as seven who struggle with how much time they spend playing mobile and video games that request micro-transactions to older adults who are struggling to control their spending. They may also start to gamble for coping reasons – as a way of forgetting their problems or to relieve boredom or loneliness.

The development of gambling addictions is influenced by the environment in which people live, their genetic predisposition and their self-perception. Various models and theories have been advanced to explain pathological gambling, including behavioral-environmental explanations, the reward deficiency syndrome and a biopsychosocial model. They have important implications for intervention and research, public opinion and policy decisions as well as the treatment and counseling of people with gambling addictions.