UK Gambling Survey Sparks Significant Concerns

Concerns have been expressed over the recent findings from the Gambling Survey for Great Britain.   

A spokesperson for the Betting & Gaming Council claims that the recent findings from the gambling survey for Great Britain might overstate gambling harms.  

The spokesperson 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.”  

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Too Early to Use New Methodology to Make Policy or Regulatory Changes 

The Gambling Commission noted that a new methodology was used for the survey, adding, “This methodology is new, and it is too early to use it in isolation to make policy or regulatory changes.”  

Official figures on problem gambling rates in Britain, previously estimated as low as 0.3%, can obscure the true extent of gambling-related harm by including non-bettors, according to a report from the industry regulator. 

Various surveys suggest that problem gambling rates in Britain range from 0.3% to 2.5%. However, a new report shows that when non-gamblers are excluded, this figure rises sharply, particularly among online casino gamblers. 

Gambling Commission Cautions Figures May Overstate Current Gambling Harms 

The National Centre for Social Research and the University of Glasgow found that 2.5% of British adults might have faced problem gambling, significantly higher than previously thought. This estimated rate increases to 4.1% among those who have gambled in the past year. 

The Gambling Commission cautions that the latest figures, using different methodologies, might either overstate current gambling harms or highlight past underestimations. 

The survey revealed that 24.5% of respondents who had 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 leveraged 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. 

Additionally, an international study published in The Lancet found that globally, about one in six people (15.8%) who play online casino games or slots experience gambling disorders. 

Calls for Permitted but not Promoted Gambling 

The Gambling Survey for Great Britain, released by the Gambling Commission, stated: “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 calls for a legislative overhaul to ensure gambling is “permitted but not promoted, and Ministers have been urged to implement the previous government’s proposal for a £100m annual levy on gambling firms to fund research, prevention, and treatment aimed at reducing gambling-related harms. 

The industry brings in enormous amounts of revenue and provides many thousands of jobs across the UK. The industry has been subject to tough regulations year on year.