1. Gambling harm is more widespread than you might think
Gambling harm is defined as a person developing a serious preoccupation with gambling which impacts on health, both mental and physical. This can lead to suicidal thoughts and developing other severe mental health problems. Currently, about 0.6% of the UK population are in gambling harm – some 400,000 people. There are estimated to be a further 2 million people whose gambling habit is today on the cusp of gambling harm. Gambling harm manifests in different ways, but usually it impacts a family’s finances, a person’s ability to maintain employment, relationships, physical health, and for many it leads to criminal activity.
2. Gambling harm indirectly affects many more people
It is not just the person in gambling harm that needs help and support. According to a 2019 study published in the British Medical Journal, for every person in gambling harm, it is estimated that another 5 to 10 people are directly or indirectly impacted. That includes spouses/partners, children, employers and the wider community. Taking this estimate at the low end of the scale, this means a minimum of 2 million people are indirectly affected each year by gambling harm in the UK.
3. Gambling harm is a particular issue in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland makes up less than 3% of the UK population, yet almost 10% of people in gambling harm are located in the province. The rate of harm in Northern Ireland is a staggering four and a half times larger than the rate of harm in England. While there are many reasons for this difference, undoubtedly a lack of a regulator and outdated legislation has led to a greater prevalence of harm. Legislation and regulation are urgently needed to help those suffering in Northern Ireland.
4. Treating Gambling harm is an expensive business
In 2019 during an evidence session at a House of Lords Select Committee, Dr Anna Van Der Gaag, Chair of the Advisory Board for Safer Gambling (ABSG) revealed that the cost to treat a person in gambling harm was £591 per person per year. Based on those figures, that would mean that the NHS needs almost £240 million each year just to treat gambling addiction. Given the rise in the cost of living over the last five years the cost of treatment is likely to be significantly higher today.
5. The Gambling industry should pay far more than it does
The gambling industry is set to make close to £15 billion this year. Gambling companies pay a voluntary levy out of their vast profits to deal with the harm they cause. For the period 2019-2023 the gambling industry agreed to pay £100 million to help treat people in gambling harm – although a considerable sum, this barely scratches the surface given the scale of the problem. At least £250 million is needed to pay for treatment, but money is also need to pay for prevention and research. A 5% levy of gambling profits is needed just to treat people in gambling harm. In Northern Ireland, where gambling harm is most prevalent, the industry pays just £25,000 per year to help 40,000 people.
6. The gambling industry targets the most vulnerable
Recent research highlights that gambling-related harm disproportionately affects people from disadvantaged backgrounds in the UK. In a review of 27 studies on gambling-related harm and income inequality, it was found that untreated stress played a major role in increased gambling. This is compounded by the fact that betting shops and gambling machines are 10 times more likely to be located in areas of deprivation.
7. Gambling companies make their money off those who are most addicted
For gambling companies to make a profit, people need to lose. Somewhere between 65% and 86% of gambling companies’ profits is collected from 5% of accounts. It is in the interests of Gambling companies to ensure that these accounts, generating high yields, are retained by the company and also that they continue to lose. Gambling companies are meant to monitor spend and contact people who spend £2,000 over a year. The Gambling Commission has recently issued fines to gambling companies that permit uncontrolled rapid spend; however, the University of Liverpool found that accounts which had spent more than £2,000 in the space of a year, fewer than 1% of those account holders were contacted or had any intervention from the gambling industry to ensure social responsibility. Gambling companies are not doing enough. That is why credit checks and spending limits are urgently needed.
8. Gambling is now far more widespread due to internet betting
Approximately 44% of the UK population participates in some sort of gambling on a weekly basis. Of which, 14 million people gamble online at least once per week. When the rate of online gambling today is compared to pre-pandemic gambling levels, there has been a 78% increase in online gambling participation. This increase in online gambling means people have access to gambling products 24/7. Before the rise of internet betting, people could only place a bet when a betting shop was open. Now the online shop never closes and people in gambling harm cannot escape their addiction.
9. Computer games train children to gamble at a young age
Computer games aimed at kids sell online products called ‘loot boxes’ to help enhance the game experience. These online products are essentially ‘lucky bags’, and the purchaser does not know what they are getting; it’s essentially a game of chance. Press reports highlight concerns that children and young people are spending thousands of pounds on apparently “harmless” loot boxes placing them at the same risk as people who gamble and developing harmful behaviours. Some countries have already banned or restricted loot boxes, this is because research has highlighted a link between the purchase of loot boxes and gambling harm in early adulthood. Loot boxes need to be restricted and children better protected when they play online.
10. Gambling advertising is particularly widespread in sport
A study by Yale found that people in the UK who gamble on sports are more likely to be subject to gambling harm. Accordingly, gambling companies target sporting events for advertising. A university of Bristol study has found that over the course of a Premier League weekend, viewers of television coverage are bombarded with almost 7,000 messages promoting gambling. In a survey caried out by CARE this year, 2 out of every 3 adults in the UK agreed that there was too much gambling advertising during sport, and advertising, particularly during sporting events, needed to be regulated.