Gambling can really affect relationships because when someone hides it from their partner it immediately creates a wall between them once secrets start even if the amounts are small the trust begins to slip away and trust is often harder to repair than money.
When money is shared in a family it becomes more serious because every dollar is supposed to be for both partners or for the children if one uses it for gambling without telling the other it doesn’t just cause financial stress it feels like betrayal and betrayal can cut deeper than any loss at the casino.
Gambling also takes time and attention away from the relationship if someone spends long hours chasing wins or recovering from losses the partner might start to feel neglected or unimportant this emotional distance is often what breaks people apart before the money even does.So yes gambling does have the capacity to break marriages and families apart not only because of the debt it can cause but also because of the secrecy and lack of communication around it the healthier way is to be open about it with a spouse even if it’s just a hobby because once it is hidden it slowly eats away at the foundation of the relationship honesty and boundaries are what keep it from becoming destructive.