Sample Research Paper On Gambling

That life is full of insurmountable opportunities is perhaps the main reason people take a lot of risks. Some even say if you don’t risk, you risk even more. It is this natural desire to explore the unknowns that make human take on various challenges in the hope of better returns. One may ask, are the risks worth? In this paper, I choose to talk about one of the hotly debated areas relating to risk taking. I will discuss gambling and its effects. Gambling can literary be defined as the undertaking of a risky action in the hope of a better return or returns. The world over, people have been gambling through the centuries. The advancement of the internet has in itself provided an incredible platform increasing the opportunities and chances for the lovers of the trade to explore their luck. Despite its supposedly magical real returns, gambling can become an addiction and pose a far-reaching challenge to those involved or otherwise affected.
It has become apparent that whether you bet on scratch cards, on sports or any other known platform, you run the risk of becoming an addict. (Helpguide.org) suggests that gambling addicts often develop what they call problem gambling. This problem gambling in its later stages can cause strain to relationships. It also can pose a threat to one's career by interfering with work his or her work. This can eventually lead to financial catastrophe or even death in extreme cases. It has been proved that those affected are at risk of doing things they never thought of doing. It is also evident that some end up stealing money to gamble and or pay debts accruing from their lost fortunes. They develop an impulsive control disorder where they cannot control the impulse to gamble even with the full knowledge that this kind of behavior is hurting those around them. It is this worrying and often unspoken of trend that inspires me to do an expository on the effects of gambling and more precisely, those arising from gambling addiction.
In as much as the effects may not be profound in all the aspects of life, it is indeed surprising that problem gambling has its negative consequences in virtually all sectors of human life and living.
Economically, sizeable amounts of dollars are lost every year to gambling. Rehab international-Drug and Alcohol Rehab Guide shows that more than $5 billion has been lost annually to gambling addictions. This is not part of the above $40 billion that is spent on social services and creditor losses. The social services incurred are majorly on rehabilitation and lawsuits filed by and or for the partners in the game. It has also been noted that two for every three gamblers will tend to engage in an illegal acts so that they can pay the debts accruing from their gambling activities. Besides, the economic pressure put on families, friends and the nation at large, it is worrying that even the prison systems suffer lot hardships in dealing with gambling-related cases. All these pressures lead to massive economic costs that are incurred even without mentioning the tax avoiding and tax evasion tendencies by most illegal gamblers and at times legalized casinos. Accumulatively, gambling addiction can lead to increased rates of unemployment because most players will be content with the fortunes they receive other than offering themselves to be gainfully employed. It can also lead to high cases of bankruptcy especially as a result of continuous losses and the search for credit to seal the holes caused by the same. These adverse economic impacts of gambling thus outweigh the otherwise thought of benefits as is stated and argued out by (Walker and Jackson).
Socially, in as much as the addict himself will be suffering, his or her family is also bound to suffer numerous challenges as a result of the addiction. The family members will often have to undergo some physical and emotional abuse. The gamblers in most cases tend to be physically unavailable to their parents since they are often engrossed in monitoring lottery numbers, winnings and the analysis of betting odds. It is also reported that most families associated with the gamblers often receive threats from persons to whom their family member owes money. The families never get to have the peace of mind as they are in a constant need for emotional attachment that is never present. Additionally, the increased pressure placed on the families to pay debts accumulated by their gambling partners is more than overwhelming. They literary have to pay for things they never received benefits from. Another worrying social effect is the rising rates of divorce occasioned by gambling addiction. (Rehab international-Drug and Alcohol Rehab Guides) shows that 65% of couples in the United States end up divorced should one of the partners be suffering from gambling addiction. It is worth noting that only 60% of gambling addicts can boast of a family and children. On a wider scale, casino gambling has been known to cause an increase in social costs. Costs such as such as increased crime, high rates of bankruptcy all arise from pathological gambling. This social costs ultimately lead to a very significant addition to the economic costs incurred by a nation (Eadington). It is thus apparent that gambling puts an enormous burden on the society as a result of the increased pressure surrounded those affected by it. This is not a very favorable scenario since if it is not dealt with; it may lead to social disintegration. Minor as the challenges may be, one can see that the underlying social effects are touching on the very basis of society, and societal living and that is family.
Still on the social aspect, pathological gambling may have dire consequences for children. This is because gambling in most cases brings emotional issues that may have an impact on the children. Most gamblers tend to spend most of their time in casinos and gambling centers finding little time for their families. The children thus start feeling unloved as a result of their parent’s absence. Worse, should these parents discover that they have a gambling problem, majority tend to separate themselves from their families in their desperate attempts to retain control (Ladouceur and Gaboury ).The children may also be adversely affected by the emotional tension created by their parents should they be having family issues such as fighting over money.
Finally, gambling and problem gambling has also been known to have an effect on the politics of the day. People’s voting habits have been known to be influenced by their gambling traits. Additionally, casinos and other gambling agencies often provide huge amounts of funding to politicians in a bid to boost their political campaigns. People have been known to throw vast sums of money maybe from their lottery wins to help their favorite candidates ascend the political ladder. There’s also the risk of public office holders who suffer from problem gambling engaging in illegal activities by using public funds for gambling purposes. Several political scandals have been reported involving blackmails and physical threat amongst politicians for their selfish interests. An example is the case in Irwin dale where a city mayor's barred in 1972 by a card club proponent of the time. He was later tried and convicted for an attempt to drug the mayor in a desperate effort of blackmailing him to win his support for a casino. A more recent scandal is that one reported in California where a former head of the Republican Party in California was accused of trying to influence a member of the assembly unduly. The parliamentarian was offered a share of an imminent card room in Colima (Library.ca.gov).
Having recognized that gambling is a social problem amongst our generation, what are the possible solutions to this problem? (psychguides.com) explains that talking to the person addicted forms the start of their journey to recovery. The fact that talk does wonders is not an underestimate. Most of the people affected often suffer a degree of desolation in what can be equated to the withdrawal symptoms amongst addicts. One needs to talk to them to help them acknowledge that they have a problem and help them realize the imminent danger associated with the same. Legislation also plays a very critical role in helping control and curb illegal gambling. Laws governing the establishment and running of casinos can be enacted. The laws have to touch on the age prescriptions, maximum hours one can spent at the casinos and the also seek to regulate the amount of funds people place at stake (Ludwig et al.) In addition to the above remedies, governments and other organizations can set up rehabilitation centers such as with the victims of drug and alcohol abuse. The rehabilitation centers would and indeed can help those affected to go through a smooth transition from their earlier deploring states. To ensure the raising of a gambling addiction free generation, strategies should be laid to help in dealing with youth gambling problems. Primary control measures such as training them on the potential risk of gambling can be of help. A healthy public policy on regulating the mushrooming of gambling communities can help create an enabling environment for the youth by limiting their exposure to gambling behavior (Messerlian and Derevensky).

Works Cited

Helpguide.org,.“Gambling Addiction And Problem Gambling: Warning Signs And How To Get Help”. N.p., 2015. Web. 26 Mar. 2015.
Eadington, William R. “The Economics Of Casino Gambling”. Journal of Economic Perspectives 13.3 (1999): 173-192. Web.
Walker, Douglas M., And Jackson,John D. . “The Effect Of Legalized Gambling On State Government Revenue”. Contemporary Economic Policy 29.1 (2011): 101-114. Web.
Rehab International - Drug & Alcohol Rehab Guides. “The Negative Effects Of Gambling Addictions”. N.p., 2015. Web. 26 Mar. 2015.
Ladouceur, Robert, andGaboury,Anne. “Effects Of Limited And Unlimited Stakes On Gambling Behavior”. Journal of Gambling Behavior 4.2 (1988): 119-126. Web.
Library.ca.gov,. “Politics And Gambling”. N.p., 2015. Web. 26 Mar. 2015.
Ludwig, Monika et al. 'Gambling Experiences, Problems, Research And Policy: Gambling In Germany'. Addiction 108.9 (2012): 1554-1561. Web.
'Minimizing Harm From Gambling: What is the gambling industry’s role?'.Addiction 104.5 (2009): 696-697. Web.
Messerlian, Carmen, and Jeffrey L. Derevensky. 'Youth Gambling: A Public Health Perspective'. Journal of Gambling Issues 14 (2005): n. pag. Web.