Children exposed to gambling are also four times more likely to go on to experience such gambling issues themselves.
The findings were made in charity GambleAware’s annual Treatment and Support Survey, which looked at the use of, and reported demand for, advice, support and treatment among those who gamble and those affected by another’s gambling.
The study, carried out last November, included an online YouGov survey of more than 18,000 British adults, as well as one-to-one interviews with current and former gamblers and online focus groups with affected others.
For the first time, the research included questions on former gambling to understand the experiences of people who used to gamble, including legacy harms.
It found an estimated 1.65 million children under 18 are growing up in households where an adult is experiencing “problem gambling”.
Up to 130,000 people who used to gamble said they were still experiencing harms from previous gambling, while an estimated 1.2 million adults who used to gamble reported feeling the urge to gamble again in the last six months.
Data obtained from the study found almost half (44%) of those experiencing “problem gambling” were at high risk of suicidal behaviour.
There is also increasing demand for services and support around gambling, particularly amongst “affected others”, with numbers rising from 29% in 2022 to 35% last year.
A number of issues are preventing people from seeking support with gambling issues, including the cost-of-living crisis and the accessibility of gambling, the study found.
In its report, GambleAware called for a pre-watershed ban on TV advertising of gambling, improved health warnings on all gambling advertising and a ban on gambling marketing at sporting events.
Zoe Osmond, chief executive of GambleAware, said the figures highlighted “the impact of the normalisation of gambling across society on individuals, families and communities” and revealed a “concerning link” between early exposure to gambling at a younger age and the risk of harms in later life.
She said: “Gambling harms can affect anyone, which is why it is so important that we break down the stigma associated with it and encourage people to come forward and talk about gambling harm.
“We also need to go further to protect people from experiencing gambling harms in the first place. This is why we are calling for a more strategic government-led approach, greater investment in prevention and treatment programmes to address gambling harm in Great Britain, that includes increased regulation of gambling advertising.”
Dame Rachel de Souza, Children’s Commissioner for England, welcomed the increasing recognition of the harms caused by gambling as a serious public health issue.
She said: “I want to see far more attention given to the impact of gambling on children and young people. I’m particularly concerned about new, easily accessible forms of gambling online that obscure the risks and the harms and are increasingly pervasive in children’s lives.
“If we allow gambling to be normalised for young people through continued exposure to advertising and gambling activities in online games, we risk a long-term impact on their lives – on their mental or physical health, relationships or financial wellbeing.”
A spokesperson for the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC), which represents more than 90% of the regulated betting and gaming sector in the UK, said: “BGC members voluntarily donated over £170 million over the past four years to independent research, prevention and treatment services to tackle problem gambling and gambling-related harm.
“Each month around 22.5 million people in Britain enjoy a bet and the overwhelming majority do so safely and responsibly.
“The most recent NHS Health Survey for England estimated that 0.4% of the adult population are problem gamblers.”
– Anyone experiencing harm directly from gambling or as an affected other can call the National Gambling Helpline at 0808 8020 133, which is available 24/7 and offers free, confidential advice, tools, and support.