Despite being a widely popular pastime, gambling can have serious consequences. These include financial stress, relationship breakdown, family violence, mental illness and suicide. It can also lead to poorer health outcomes, including premature death. These adverse effects are often underestimated or overlooked.

Gambling is heavily marketed worldwide and attracts people with appeals to socio-cultural constructs such as rituals, mateship, winning and success, social status and thrill and adventure. This marketing is supported by research utilising practice theory, which attaches agency and meaning to materials during the performance of practices such as gambling.

A common mistake made by people who gamble is to believe they can control their outcome by using betting systems. While these may increase the chance of a win, they cannot improve your odds long term. In addition, there are many emotional factors that go into losing a bet such as regret and stress. These can affect your focus and result in bad decisions.

Until recently, it was common to view gambling as immoral and a harmful activity. However, in the last decade, there has been a change in perception of gambling disorder and understanding of the nature of its adverse consequences. As a result, it is now seen as an underlying psychological issue and treated like other mental disorders such as depression, bipolar disorder or anxiety. Understanding of the problems associated with gambling is crucial for ensuring that it is not stigmatised or ignored. This includes reducing the negative perception of gambling by politicians, media and the public.