GambleAware has published its Annual Treatment and Support Survey, which monitors the demand and usage of treatment and support for gambling harms over time.
YouGov is responsible for conducting the survey and in the most recent edition included 18,178 adults in Great Britain, with the study conducted in November 2023.
Based on the findings, it has been estimated that 1.65 million children under the age of 18 are growing up in households where an adult is experiencing problem gambling.
Further to this, the report also shows that children were four times more likely to go on to experience problem gambling themselves, at 8%, than those who are not considered affected others, at 2%.
For the first time the report has also shown legacy harms of gambling, which looks at people who used to gamble, and the impacts experienced because of gambling, such as the financial impact or the impact on physical health.
Data from the respondents who used to gamble showed that 18% reported they had the urge to gamble again in the last six months.
As a result of the overall findings, GambleAware has called for policy changes to address the “normalisation of gambling in daily life and help protect children and young people.”
Some of its suggestions include a pre-watershed ban on TV advertising, improved health warnings on all gambling advertising and the banning of gambling marketing at sporting events.
GambleAware Chief Executive Zoë Osmond said: “The figures published today in our Treatment and Support Survey highlight the impact of the normalisation of gambling across society on individuals, families and communities. The research shows a concerning link between early exposure to gambling at a younger age and the risk of harms in later life and for the first time shows the lasting impact legacy harms can have.
“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, and increased regulation of gambling advertising.”
GambleAware also recently commissioned a study conducted by The National Centre for Social Research (NatCen), which looked into the relationship between gambling and socially excluded communities in Great Britain.
