Gambling is an activity that involves putting something of value on the outcome of a game of chance with the aim of realizing a profit. This practice is common and can be found in all societies throughout history. It has been incorporated into local customs and rites of passage. Although most people engage in gambling activities without experiencing any problems, a significant number of individuals develop a gambling disorder that is defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders as a recurrent pattern of gambling behavior associated with substantial distress or impairment.

The impacts of gambling can be structuralized into negative and positive; they can also be categorized into three classes: financial, labor and health/well-being. Each of these classes manifests on personal, interpersonal and community/societal levels. The societal level encompasses effects that affect the whole society. The financial impacts are the direct costs and benefits of gambling. They include changes in financial situations, such as gambling revenues, tourism and infrastructure cost or value change.

The health and well-being impacts of gambling are the indirect costs and benefits of this activity. They can be derived from the behavioral or cognitive consequences of gambling, such as the increased vulnerability to depression and stress. They can also be attributed to the social and economic aspects of the game, such as the increased dependence on family members or other gamblers for money. In the long run, this can lead to family and interpersonal conflicts.