Problem gamblers numbers remain constant despite more opportunities to wager
By: ADAM SINGLETON
According to a recent gambling industry survey over 32 million Britons have made at least one wager during the year. However, the majority of those will not have stepped over a bookies’ threshold to bet as other forms of gambling have become so widely available. The National Lottery, bingo, football pools, gaming machines and casinos are all popular, and some - especially online bingo - are in a definite boom period.
But, interestingly, the number of gamblers who have become addicted to placing bets has remained constant since 1999 despite the introduction of the Gambling Act in 2005 which relaxed advertising rules for casinos and on-line gambling sites.
According to the British Gambling Preference Survey 2007 the amount of gamblers that have encountered problems is around 250,000 – the same as in 1999, and surprisingly the total amount of people who have placed at least one bet has dropped by a million in the last eight years. So, despite the easing of the regulations, and the gloomy predictions of the doom-mongers, it appears that most people in the UK prefer to gamble responsibly.
However, for those who find it hard to walk away from a losing streak, it can have a devastating impact on their financial health and relationships with the people closest to them. In fact, professor of gambling studies at the University of Nottingham Trent, Mark Griffiths thinks that it’s dangerous to get complacent over the results of the survey. He said: "Just because the numbers have stabilised doesn’t mean that there isn’t a problem. A quarter of a million adults with gambling problems is definitely a public health issue.
"Problem gambling can impact negatively in significant areas of a person’s life. That includes their physical and mental health, employment, finances and relationships." Griffiths also points out that emotions such as guilt, suicidal feelings and depression can be made worse by gambling, and vice versa. He is also concerned about the impact that 24 hour drinking laws will have on potential gamblers, as the urge to gamble is often triggered by alcohol.
And the financial impact of chronic gambling also can’t be underestimated. Huge debts can soon mount as gamblers attempt to recover their losses, and many problem gamblers have no access to effective debt solutions such as debt consolidation loans, as many already have damaged credit ratings. Indeed, effective debt management is nigh on impossible for someone addicted to gambling, as all their available cash will inevitably be placed as bets. That can have a crushing effect on a family that may be deprived of cash to buy the necessities, or even lose their home.
So, although the relaxation of gambling laws appears not to have made a short-term significant impact on the amount of problem gamblers, Professor Griffiths believes that the jury is still out on the long-term.
Adam Singleton is an online, freelance journalist and keen gardener. He lives in Scotland with his two dogs.
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