Several studies have analyzed the social and economic impacts of gambling. These studies are useful to help policymakers understand the major effects of gambling. These studies have focused on two types of impacts: positive and negative. The positive impacts of gambling are related to the psychological and social benefits of gambling. These benefits can be seen in a variety of contexts. For instance, the psychological and social benefits of gambling can reinforce the self-concept of senior citizens. In addition, the psychological and social benefits of gambling may enhance the self-concept of lower socioeconomic groups.
Many studies have attempted to quantify the benefits of gambling using consumer surplus. Consumer surplus is the difference between what people pay for a product or service and what they could pay for it. Similarly, a gambler’s consumer surplus represents the difference between what he or she spends on gambling and what he or she could spend on other goods or services.
However, arbitrary monetary amounts do not accurately reflect the social and economic costs of gambling. Some of these costs are invisible, but when a family member seeks help for a gambling problem, they become visible. These intangible costs are primarily incurred at the individual and interpersonal levels, but some can be assessed at the community/society level.
The first group of impacts focuses on the health and physical well-being of individuals. The impact of gambling can be measured by health-related quality of life weights (HRQOL). HRQOL is a measure of the burden a health state has on a person’s quality of life. This approach can also be used to assess the financial, social, and societal impacts of gambling.
A second group of impacts focuses on the labor, tourism, and financial sectors. These impacts are manifested in changes in financial situations, as well as in employment, tourism, and infrastructure costs. Specifically, some consumers use gambling as a means to escape problems in their personal and financial lives. Others are motivated by their desire to win money.
A third group of impacts examines the gambling industry itself. These impacts are also based on a public health perspective. These impacts can be divided into three classes: economic, social, and behavioral. These impacts can also be assessed by a cost-benefit analysis. This method is similar to the cost of illness approach, but it includes the value of intangible harms. This approach is common in alcohol and drug research.
Among the most important issues in gambling impacts research is how to assess the social impacts of gambling. While a lot of studies have tried to quantify the positive and negative impacts of gambling, most have omitted the social side of the problem. This has resulted in a bias in current knowledge. Attempts have been made to study gambling’s social impacts from a public health perspective, but many of these studies have been methodologically deficient.
In order to determine the impact of gambling on a society, researchers have studied the impacts of the activity at the individual, interpersonal, and community/society level. These impacts can vary depending on the source of gambling revenues.
