First ever data on the breadth and depth of adverse consequences people experience because of someone else’s gambling
By Bill Heaney
Experts at the University of Glasgow have contributed to a new survey that for the first time in 14 years, provides detailed insight into gambling behaviours …
… illuminating participation rates, gambling activities participated in, experiences and reasons for gambling, and the consequences that gambling can have on individuals and those close to them.
The first annual report of the Gambling Survey for Great Britain (GSGB) was launched today by the Gambling Commission and produced by the National Centre for Social Research and the University of Glasgow.
The GSGB is set to become one of the largest surveys of its kind in the world, with responses from 9,804 people that are expected to increase to around 20,000 by next year.
Professor Heather Wardle, pictured right, co-director of Gambling Research Glasgow based at the University of Glasgow, was lead author for the study.
She said: “The new GSGB is hugely significant. We know from our research – and the stories we hear from those with lived experience – that gambling harms don’t just affect the individual who gambles, but the people they are close to, and can lead to severe consequences for their loved ones.
“Thanks to the GSGB, we now have the first ever data on the breadth and depth of adverse consequences people experience because of someone else’s gambling, demonstrating the impact gambling can have on relationships and on health and well-being.
“Our data also shows that people who take part in activities like online slots or casino games are over five times more likely than average to experience adverse consequences from their gambling; these patterns replicate findings from our recent global review of gambling behaviours showing that globally, 15.8% of those who play online casino or slots experience gambling disorder.
“Data in this report represents the first year of a new baseline, against which future changes can be compared and as such will prove invaluable in deepening further our understanding of gambling across the country.”
Professor Patrick Sturgis, Professor of Quantitative Social Science at the London School of Economics, added: “The new design of the Gambling Survey for Great Britain will significantly enhance the evidence base on patterns and trends in gambling behaviour.
“With an annual sample size of 20,000 individual interviews across the nations and regions of Great Britain, the survey will provide researchers and policy makers with fine-grained and timely data across a broad range of key indicators.”
As part of a drive to ensure the new statistics are used correctly the Commission has published guidance on how this data can be interpreted.
For example, estimates presented in this report are not directly comparable with results from prior surveys. The Commission will always robustly tackle any misuse of official statistics and our guidance sets out how we do this.
The global review of gambling behaviour was published by Lancet Public Health on July 16th and is available here: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpub/article/PIIS2468-2667(24)00126-9/fulltext
Professor Heather Wardle is a specialist in gambling research, policy and practice. She has extensive experience of designing, implementing and analysing some of Britain’s largest studies of health and well-being, including the Health Survey for England and the British Gambling Prevalence Survey.
Heather is currently co-director of Gambling Research Glasgow and leading the Lancet Public Health Commission on Gambling.
Gambling Research Glasgow is a collective of researchers based at the University of Glasgow who share a common interest in the social impacts of gambling, particularly its effects on vulnerable groups, and on the cultural and political context of the expansion of commercial gambling.
UofG’s gambling specialists have produced a guide to encourage more respectful and less stigmatising reporting on gambling. This was developed in consultation with journalists, policy makers and people with lived experience. Access it here:https://www.grg.scot/policy/words-matter-language-guidelines/
Not really a surprise that someone who would bet the house on two flies going up a wall would cause problems for his wife and family.
Betting can be dangerous, ruinous behaviour for some people. Problem gamblers I think the term is.
Maybe that’s why gambling used to be illegal or very much suppressed. But now it’s big big big business and so the volume of problem gamblers will no doubt now be greater than years ago.
But hey, alcohol can be a problem and is in fact a problem for many.
Thankfully I myself don’t bet. But if I did, I’d bet you this Glasgow University survey will change nothing.