GambleAware says demand for treatment almost doubled since 2020
Summary
GambleAware’s Annual Treatment and Support Survey 2024, carried out by YouGov, shows a sharp rise in demand for help with gambling harm in Great Britain. Almost one in three adults who gamble and are at any level of risk now say they want treatment, support or advice, up from around one in five in 2020. The proportion of adults classed as experiencing problem gambling rose from 2.4% in 2020 to 3.8% in 2024.
The research estimates 4.3 million adults are affected by a friend or family member’s gambling (8.1% in 2024, up from 6.5% in 2020). Prize draws such as Omaze and McDonald’s Monopoly were singled out as a concern: the survey suggests more than a quarter of people who gamble may be at any risk from prize draws, and roughly one in nine have problem gambling specifically linked to them. There is strong public support for tighter advertising restrictions — for example, 91% back bans on gambling ads on television and video games, and 90% back bans on social media. GambleAware’s chief executive, Zoë Osmond, warned the trends may signal a growing public health crisis and called for tougher regulation, mandatory health warnings on ads, stricter digital marketing controls and a ban on gambling promotion in stadiums and sports venues. The study also estimates around 2 million children may be living with an adult experiencing problem gambling.
Key Points
- Demand for treatment/support among people who gamble has nearly doubled since 2020 (from ~1 in 5 to ~1 in 3).
- Problem gambling prevalence rose from 2.4% (2020) to 3.8% (2024).
- About 4.3 million adults in Great Britain are affected by someone else’s gambling (8.1%).
- Prize draws are highlighted as an unregulated risk; >25% of gamblers may be at risk from draws and ~1 in 9 problem gamblers linked to them.
- Very strong public support for advertising restrictions: 91% support bans on TV/video game ads and 90% on social media ads.
- GambleAware urges mandatory health warnings, tougher digital marketing controls and a ban on gambling promotion in sports venues.
- Estimate that roughly 2 million children may live with an adult who has problem gambling.
Why should I read this?
Quick and blunt: this matters. Harm is rising, the public want action, and regulators are under pressure. If you work in iGaming, advertising, sponsorship or public health, expect policy and commercial changes — now’s the time to pay attention so you’re not caught out.
Source
Source: https://next.io/news/regulation/gambleaware-demands-treatment-doubled-2020/
