The motivation for both the casual and occasional gambler is usually the entertainment value of the activity itself. For the casual and occasional gambler, is usually the enterainment value of the activity itself. For the casual and occasional gambler, acceptable substitutes to gambling are other forms of entertainment, such as going out for dinner or to a movie. Risky gamblers enjoy the risk of gambling rather than the gambling itself. However, the risky gambler does not exhibit uncontrolled behavior and is more apt to demonstrate skill and proficiency than reckless and foolhardy behavior.
Professional gamblers gamble for economic gain.
Professional gamblers are concentrated in those few games for which a competitive advantage can be gained, primarily blackjack, a card game in which counting cards can provide an advantage over the dealer, and pari-mutuel betting, where research can improve one's chance of winning. Professional gambling behavior is often characterized by few and infrequent gambles of sizable wagers, since there are few opportunities in which the gambler has a distinct advantage. For habitual gamblers, gambling is integrated into everyday life. As the term implies, habitual betting is a habit, and may be done with a minimal investment of time and deliberate effort. State lotteries are the games most closely associated with habitual gambling.