The exposure-to-wellbeing pathway suggests that engagement with gambling gives rise to harms, which then lead to reduced wellbeing. In this study, the researchers examined whether gambling harms can help to explain the relationship between gambling involvement and wellbeing. They analyzed survey responses from 4,001 Australian adults who participated in the 2019 Second National Study of Interactive Gambling in Australia. The researchers created an index of gambling involvement wherein forms of gambling more strongly associated with problem gambling were given a greater weight. It was found that greater gambling involvement was linked to more harms. In turn, experiencing gambling harms was associated with lower life satisfaction and poorer mental and physical wellbeing. However, gambling involvement did not have a direct effect on wellbeing. These findings suggest that gambling involvement appears to affect wellbeing mainly through the experience of harms.
