Gambling involves betting on a random event and hoping to win a prize, which can be anything from a small amount of money to a life-changing jackpot. While some people enjoy gambling and it can provide an entertaining pastime, for others, it can have serious consequences and impact on their health and wellbeing, relationships, work or study performance and leave them in financial debt or even homeless. Moreover, problem gambling can have an adverse impact on the lives of family, friends and colleagues.

Research in this area is complex and ongoing as many factors influence the impact of gambling. Longitudinal studies are particularly challenging as they require significant funding and a long-term commitment to follow participants over time. Furthermore, it is difficult to control for factors such as a person’s ages and other external influences (e.g., casino opening) and to avoid confounding effects on gambling behaviour and psychological outcomes.

Despite these challenges, longitudinal gambling research is growing in prevalence and sophistication. Increasingly, longitudinal studies are utilising theory-based measures to measure gambling behaviour and psychosocial functioning.

While some people are able to stop gambling, for others, it becomes an uncontrollable habit and can lead to serious problems, including addiction, causing financial hardship and harm to those around them. Fortunately, there are treatment and support options available. These include counselling, which can help a person understand and think about their gambling behaviour, as well as support groups such as Gamblers Anonymous, which is modelled on Alcoholics Anonymous.