If you’ve been caught in the gambling trap, it’s important to realize that there are a few things you can do to avoid it. Gambling can be an enjoyable and social experience, but it should only be one form of entertainment. Over time, gambling can become a serious problem if it’s becoming the only source of entertainment. To overcome this problem, you need to understand why you gamble in the first place and figure out how to change your behaviour. There are many organisations out there that can help you to overcome your problem, and they offer counselling and support for those that are affected.
Some studies have attempted to quantify the benefits of gambling, focusing on the amount of money that gambling generates in society. The difference between what people spend on gambling and what they would pay for a product or service is called the consumer surplus. Using this concept, the gambling industry in Australia has estimated that its activities generate between $8 and $11 billion in consumer surplus each year. While this is a large amount of money, it is not a good enough metric to capture all of the benefits of gambling, especially those that are not monetary.
Using a public health approach to gambling research allows researchers to measure the impacts of gambling at a variety of severity levels, from the most minor to the most severe. This method is useful in assessing the costs of pathological gambling, but ignores the benefits associated with gambling. Using economic cost-benefit analysis, researchers can determine how much gambling affects society overall and which policies are effective. There are a number of important purposes for gambling impact studies. Among these are identifying potential research gaps and formulating public policies that address the harms of gambling.
