An important part of gambling is the implementation of responsible gambling measures. However, despite casinos and licensing bodies requiring these, UK charity GambleAware says the need for gambling support has doubled since 2020 in the UK.
In a press release, the charity published its findings in its latest survey, the Annual Treatment and Support Survey 2024. The survey, conducted by YouGov, surveyed almost 18,000 adults across Great Britain.
The general conclusion of the survey? More people in Great Britain are worryingly seeking help for gambling, a lot more than they were five years ago in 2020.
Keep reading to find out the other findings the GambleAware survey found.
More Adults Are Seeking Help For Gambling Than 5 Years Ago
According to the survey, 30% of the adults who they surveyed who are experiencing gambling problems want help and support for their issues. Furthermore, this has doubled from 17% in 2020, resulting in a staggering 13% increase.
Even those who are not directly affected have been affected by their loved ones and gambling, as the number of people who say they’re affected by the gambling habits of loved ones has risen from 6 to 8%.
Undoubtedly, these findings indicate more people are finding a ripple effect within the gambling industry in the UK, despite the United Kingdom Gambling Commission requiring casinos to post links to responsible gambling materials.
McDonald’s Contributes to Gambling Harm?
Interestingly, one of the fascinating findings of the report said that prize draws like the McDonald’s Monopoly draw, which has just started again at McDonald’s, are problematic. The survey claims that 27% of people who gamble are at risk of gambling problems from prize draws, and some of those are already experiencing problematic gambling habits.
One thing to note is these prize draws are not regulated as gambling, despite customers having to purchase items in order to receive the Monopoly stickers.
Although you may be lovin’ it when you receive that 6 McNuggets meal, it seems that even the incentives from businesses can include elements of gambling.
Support For Gambling Restrictions
Overall, the survey found that there is a greater amount of support for restrictions on gambling advertising where children consume their media. The most popular areas where 91% support a ban on gambling advertising are in TV and video games, with a similar sentiment about social media. However, this relates to these areas purely because of children and not the media formats themselves.
Health Concerns
GambleAware has expressed health concerns for those who gamble. CEO of the charity, Zoë Osmond, CEO of GambleAware, said in a press release: “Gambling can be highly addictive, with devastating impacts on people’s lives, relationships, and financial stability. While it is encouraging that more people have sought help, this rise may also point to a growing public health crisis. We are increasingly alarmed by how gambling is being normalised and how frequently people—especially young people—are exposed to gambling across Great Britain.”
Osmond urges preventative action to stop gambling from impacting so many British citizens. She says that there should be “mandatory health warnings on all gambling ads, stricter controls on digital and social media marketing and a full ban on gambling promotion in stadiums and sports venues”.
This stance comes for the good of children, Osmond says. Maybe this is because Generation Alpha has increased access to social media and often attends sporting events with their families, where betting brands are the sponsors.
Is There A Problem?
While the GambleAware survey paints gambling in a somewhat negative light based on surveyees’ answers, it is a good thing. The survey sheds light on ongoing problems in the UK gambling market and highlights the need for regulation of advertisements, especially around minors.
These findings are also somewhat positive for the casino industry in a weird way. The survey does not once highlight that casinos are the source of problematic gambling habits, and rather introduces a new and previously overlooked form of gambling – prize draws. Indirectly, by highlighting this, the heat for casinos regarding ‘problematic’ gambling is redirected.
Finally, even though there is an increase in people wanting help, this also suggests people in the UK are now more open to receiving help for bad gambling habits because there is help available, suggesting that the industry has made steps towards combating undesirable gambling in the UK.
