Gambling is the betting or staking of something of value (including money and time) on an event with an uncertain outcome, with the primary intent to win a prize. This may include buying lottery tickets, playing poker or other card games for money, sports betting, casino games, online gambling, and assembling fantasy sports teams. It also includes wagering with materials that have a monetary value but are not money, such as marbles or collectible game pieces (for example, Pogs and Magic: The Gathering).
Whether you’re buying lottery tickets, betting on a game of golf or basketball, or even assembling a fantasy football team, there is always a chance you will lose more than you win. This is because there are 99 chances to lose for every one chance you have of winning – known as the house edge. This is a constant for all types of gambling, but is higher in speculative markets where the odds are higher and chasing losses is common.
WHO recognizes that the rapid expansion of gambling globally presents challenges for health and well-being, including through its impact on poverty and social cohesion, as people divert income from necessary spending to gamble. WHO encourages governments to implement effective regulatory measures, including universal pre-commitment systems (requiring people to set binding limits on the time and amount they spend gambling) and self-exclusion (allowing people to ban themselves from gambling providers). In addition, public education about gambling risks is needed.