GambleAware, the prominent charity focused on gambling harm prevention and treatment, has unveiled alarming findings in its recent Annual Treatment and Support Survey. The report, which marks the fourth installment of the survey, underscores the significant impact of gambling problems on children and young adults. The data indicates that up to 1.65 million children in Great Britain are currently living in households where gambling issues are present.
The study, conducted by YouGov on behalf of GambleAware, is based on responses from 18,000 participants. This new data offers critical insights into how early exposure to gambling harm can shape future behavior, with the research revealing that children exposed to such environments are four times more likely to develop problem gambling habits as they grow older.
Dame Rachel de Souza, the children’s commissioner for England, weighed in on the issue. She expressed concern over the growing recognition of gambling harm as a serious public health concern, stressing the urgent need to protect at-risk individuals. De Souza remarked, “GambleAware’s latest report demonstrates that there are millions who are at risk and that more needs to be done to protect them.” She also highlighted the necessity of examining how gambling affects young people and children in particular.
Additionally, De Souza touched upon the troubling impact of online gambling, which she described as particularly worrisome for children. She stated,:
If we allow gambling to be normalized 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.
Her comments emphasized the long-term consequences of normalizing gambling in children’s lives and the potential risks it poses to their development.
Call for a Ban on Gambling Advertising
GambleAware’s chief executive, Zoë Osmond, echoed the concerns raised by De Souza, particularly regarding the widespread normalization of gambling within society. Osmond stressed that the survey’s findings point to a worrying trend—early exposure to gambling increases the risk of future harm. She noted:
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.
In response to these findings, GambleAware has reiterated its call for a stronger national prevention strategy to address gambling harm. The charity has advocated for stricter regulation on gambling advertising, pushing for mandatory health warnings and a public health-centered approach. Such a strategy, according to GambleAware, should incorporate not only prevention and early intervention but also effective treatment and aftercare services.
GambleAware believes that a ban on gambling advertisements could significantly reduce gambling-related harm and problem gambling in general. Furthermore, they argue that enhanced health warnings could raise greater awareness about the dangers of gambling, helping to mitigate the risks associated with exposure to gambling activities.
Gambling Advertising’s Influence on Youth
Back in April, we reported that GambleAware released a study focusing on how gambling advertisements are increasingly reaching children and young people. This report, carried out by CultureStudio Research, Family Kids & Youth, and Sherbert Research, involved participants aged between 7 and 25, along with their families, to gain insight into their experiences and thoughts related to gambling.
The study, titled “Qualitative Research on the Lived Experience and Views of Gambling among Children and Young People,” pointed out a concerning trend: many children view gambling as a normal part of life. For some, gambling and related content have been present in their surroundings since they were quite young.
One of the major reasons for this normalization seems to be the flashy and engaging nature of gambling ads, which can make gambling appear very similar to gaming. This blurring of lines often leaves young people confused about the actual risks that come with online gambling, including issues linked to loot boxes and other gambling-like features in games.
As a result of these insights, many of the study’s younger participants expressed the need for better education about the dangers of gambling.
Controversy and Opposing Views
However, there are some opposing views regarding gambling advertising’s effect on young people, with some studies suggesting that it does not have a significant or measurable effect on youth behavior. One notable report from the Responsible Gambling Strategy Board in the UK found that while exposure to gambling ads among young people is common, there is little direct evidence to suggest it leads to increased gambling participation among this age group. The report highlights that various factors such as parental influence, social environment, and individual predispositions play a more dominant role in youth gambling behavior than advertisements alone.
Further supporting this perspective, a study published in the Journal of Gambling Studies explored the relationship between gambling advertisements and youth gambling habits. The study surveyed a large cohort of adolescents and found that exposure to gambling advertising did not strongly correlate with an increase in gambling participation or problem gambling behaviors among the group. The authors noted that other social and psychological factors were more predictive of youth gambling, and advertising had a minimal direct impact.
In addition, a review by the Australian Institute of Family Studies examined various research on gambling advertising and its effects on young people. The review concluded that while gambling advertisements are prevalent, they are unlikely to be the sole driver of youth gambling. The institute’s findings indicated that other influences, such as peer pressure and family habits, were more significant in determining whether young people engaged in gambling activities, suggesting that advertising alone does not necessarily lead to gambling uptake.
Finally, an article in Addiction Research & Theory presented an analysis of existing literature on the subject, which also challenged the assumption that gambling advertisements directly lead to increased youth gambling. The article argued that many studies fail to establish a clear causal link between advertising exposure and gambling behavior, and that other environmental and individual factors must be considered when evaluating the reasons behind youth gambling. This view underscores the complexity of the issue and questions whether restricting advertising alone would have a significant effect on reducing youth gambling.
Family and Environment have a Big Impact
Despite the uncertainty regarding gambling advertising per se, it does appear that the presence of gambling at home, in the form of parents and other family members participating in it, does have a significant impact on children who are raised in those households. As youth often take examples from their parents and peers, it makes sense that when they are being exposed to that from an early age, they would be more likely to engage in those practices.
As such, GambleAware’s latest report serves to raise awareness on these pervasive and potentially harmful effects affecting children and families. Individuals and societies would do well to take heed and adopt cultural values and behaviors that would reduce, or better yet, eliminate that kind of impact.
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