Nowadays, we have a very popular global sphere of entertainment which is getting bigger every day. And while its bigger side is about entertainment, fun, excitement etc., there are also some hidden dangers as well. We are talking about Gambling. The casino world of today has never been bigger, and it is working in the physical and in online worlds simultaneously. People can play in real casinos, or play online from their PCs and laptops without leaving their homes, playing absolutely everywhere using mobile casino versions on their smartphones and tablets. They can place bets on sports, horse and dog racing, play live casino games and many more. There are two main types of theories about gambling and healthcare: one tells us that healthcare services have problems with gambling, while the other claims that gambling positively impacts your memory and health. In this article, we will go through both of these theories and point out the most important thesis, walk through all the nuances and this will help us to better understand both theories and make our decision about the two.
Why do healthcare services have problems with gambling?
If we compare gambling to most other addictive behaviours, like drugs or alcohol for example, then we will see that gambling is largely ignored by health services and public health agencies. Partially this is happening because gambling is a hidden concern, and it does not manifest with physical warning signs. The visible signs are usually present only when a case has extreme results like major life crises, nervous breakdowns, huge debts, attempts of suicide etc.
The problem is that the gambling industry has a conflict of interest when we talk about people with gambling problems because they account for large amounts of industry revenue. So, if we are talking about the reduction of gambling problems, then we are also talking about the reduction of profits too. One of the researches in Great Britain shows that general practice, which is usually the first point of contact with the healthcare system, does have problems with gambling. In a study of more than 1,000 patients in waiting rooms of general practices in the southwest of England, around one in 20 patients reported at least some degree of a gambling problem. These levels were higher among young males and patients showing signs of depression or risky drinking. Around 7% of respondents reported problems among family members and were also likely to experience harm from gambling.
This is only one research, taken as an example. But there are more in different countries of Europe. And as we can see, the biggest problem with gambling is that these issues are hidden from view compared to health concerns that are more visibly obvious. This means that for the healthcare system lies a serious problem that needs to be resolved.
Is there a positive impact of gambling on your health and memory?
And now let us look at the other theory about the positive impact of gambling on our health, mental state and memory. Some of the research also show that gambling can bring positive effects on your health in some ways, like improving your short-term memory, and brain functionality, it can help with social interaction and even multitasking. For example, playing card games like poker can help you to improve your short-term memory, because such games force players to think and use their minds to come up with an effective strategy to win. By learning to play new games, players can also improve their brain functionality because they are forced to learn new skills and their brain quickly kicks in and learns in a fast-paced manner. For those who have trouble with going out and meeting people in the real world, playing in an online format can help to overcome some shyness and get them to interact with new people online. Besides, if you play live in real-time, then you are forced to communicate with live dealers.
As you can see, there are two sides to one medal and two points of view. There are a lot of people in the world who gamble on a regular basis without any problems with their health, without addiction and crisis. They do it for fun, they do it for money, and they enjoy themselves. There are celebrities famous for their gambling habits. On the other side, there are people who suffer from gambling addiction, and because of gambling they have destroyed their relationships, lost their jobs, suffer from depression and have debts. Gambling is risky, it can be dangerous, so you have to be careful.