Gambling is any activity in which wealth changes hands based on chance, with some risk to the gambler. It includes betting, fruit machines, lottery games, casino games and card games. People gamble for a variety of reasons, including social reasons, financial reasons and entertainment reasons. Some people become addicted to gambling and have a disorder called pathological gambling, which is defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Fifth Edition) as a persistent and recurrent pattern of gambling behavior that causes distress or impairment.

Understanding the nature of problem gambling is complicated by the fact that many people who gamble do not have a disorder. Those who do have a disorder are more likely to be young, male, low-income or from a minority group. Moreover, many of these individuals have a family history of mental health problems and/or substance use disorders. Research suggests that some genetic predispositions to thrill-seeking and impulsivity can also contribute to the development of problem gambling.

Often, gambling is a social activity where friends and families gather. As such, it can make it more difficult for those with a gambling addiction to admit they have a problem. In addition, some cultures may not see gambling as an acceptable pastime and therefore, it can be hard to recognize a gambling problem in family members.

Families of gamblers can help by strengthening their support networks. This could include reaching out to other families with loved ones who have gambling problems, or joining a peer support group such as Gamblers Anonymous. In addition, they can take steps to limit the amount of money their family member has available for gambling by requiring them to use credit cards and other financial instruments instead of cash.