Gambling is an activity where people risk something of value (usually money) to win something else of value. It is a common pastime and a major international commercial activity. There are different types of gambling, including billiards, bingo, casino games, card games, lottery and online gambling. Gambling can also be done with materials that have no monetary value, such as marbles or collectible trading card games like Magic: The Gathering.

It can be difficult to break a habit of gambling, but it is important to have strong support in place and try to find replacement activities. Reducing access to money can help prevent impulsive financial decisions and make it harder to gamble. You can do this by getting rid of credit cards or only using ones that cannot be used on gambling sites, deleting online betting accounts, putting a spouse or trusted friend in charge of your money and keeping only a small amount of cash on you.

Developing a gambling problem can have serious effects on the health of an individual and their family. People who develop problems with gambling may divert money away from essential household spending, which can lead to food insecurity or difficulty accessing healthcare and education. People who experience significant life stressors such as separation, retirement or the death of a loved one are at increased risk for developing gambling-related harm. Heavy promotion of gambling products through sport and online media also increases risk of uptake by normalizing gambling behaviour for young people.