A gamble is a wager on an event with uncertain outcomes. Although it is an important source of income and is a popular leisure activity, gambling can have serious consequences for individuals, families, and communities. These include financial stress, relationship discord, mental illness and suicide. The legacy of gambling harm can span generations and even the entire lifetime of a person.

While most research focuses on costs and benefits at the individual level, there are also external effects that occur at the community/society and society/community levels. The definition of social impacts has not been universally agreed upon and varies by the perspective of the researcher or observer. For example, Williams et al. defines them as “costs or benefits that aggregate societal real wealth, that is, those that cause harm to some people in society and benefit others.”

Another example of a social impact involves the expenditure of resources by governments for gambling regulations, administration procedures, and treatment services. Moreover, some gambling activities require significant commercial and professional organizations (e.g., horse racing and lotteries).

A major benefit of stepping away from gambling is the immediate improvement of financial health. Gambling often leads to a precarious financial situation in which funds could be used for savings or investment purposes are instead spent on the pursuit of wins that rarely compensate for losses. As a result, stopping gambling allows for better budget management, debt reduction and the ability to plan for future financial goals with clarity and confidence.