Recent findings from the Gambling Survey for Great Britain have sparked concerns over the accuracy of reported gambling harms.
Potential overstatement of gambling harms
A spokesperson for the Betting & Gaming Council suggested that the new survey might exaggerate the extent of gambling-related issues. They stated, “Our members are committed to raising standards and we welcome any robust study that accurately gauges betting and gaming participation and problem gambling prevalence.”
Premature to base policy changes on the new methodology
The Gambling Commission acknowledged the introduction of a new methodology for the survey, cautioning that it is too early to rely solely on these results for policy or regulatory changes.
Problem gambling rates under scrutiny
Official figures have previously estimated problem gambling rates in Britain as low as 0.3%. However, these figures might obscure the true extent of gambling-related harm by including non-bettors. Various surveys suggest that problem gambling rates range from 0.3% to 2.5%. A new report indicates that when non-gamblers are excluded, this rate rises significantly, especially among online casino gamblers.
Survey reveals higher rates among active gamblers
The National Centre for Social Research and the University of Glasgow found that 2.5% of British adults might have experienced problem gambling, a rate that rises to 4.1% among those who have gambled in the past year. The Gambling Commission cautioned that these figures might either overstate current gambling harms or highlight past underestimations.
High risk among online slot players
The survey revealed that 24.5% of respondents who played online slots in the past year showed signs of problem gambling, nearly six times higher than the rate for all gamblers within the same period. The industry has used population-wide figures to oppose stricter gambling regulations, but when non-gamblers are excluded and riskier forms of gambling are examined, problem gambling rates are significantly higher.
Global perspective on gambling disorders
An international study published in The Lancet found that about one in six people (15.8%) who play online casino games or slots globally experience gambling disorders.
Calls for regulatory changes
The Gambling Survey for Great Britain, released by the Gambling Commission, emphasized that focusing on population prevalence rates masks the strengths of associations between gambling and problem gambling severity index scores because they include people who do not gamble or gamble very infrequently.
There are growing calls for a legislative overhaul to ensure gambling is “permitted but not promoted.” Ministers have been urged to implement the previous government’s proposal for a £100 million annual levy on gambling firms to fund research, prevention, and treatment aimed at reducing gambling-related harms.
Industry impact
The gambling industry generates substantial revenue and provides thousands of jobs across the UK. Despite being subject to increasingly stringent regulations, concerns persist about the industry’s impact on public health and the adequacy of measures to mitigate gambling harms.
