Councillors from Glasgow are set to review the powers the authority has to impose stricter measures on omnipresent gambling advertising.
As revealed to some Glasgow Council members by one of the consultants for the Scottish Public Health Network, Dr Michelle Gillies, gambling is currently more prevalent among British youngsters than drugs, alcohol and smoking. Gambling has even been described as a significant public health issue, so city councillors supported the calls for more serious measures to be unveiled in Glasgow in order for the problem to be dealt with.
A member of the Wellbeing, Empowerment, Community and Citizen Engagement committee, Bailie Annette Christie, explained that certain research into gambling operators’ marketing campaigns, including online gambling advertising, as well as the deepening relationship between gambling and gaming, reveals the complex nature of gambling exposure, especially when it comes to children and vulnerable individuals. According to reports, specific measures should be developed to make sure that young people, their parents and vulnerable people are aware of the possible risks and negative consequences associated with gambling in order to be kept safe.
According to anti-gambling campaigners, the entire gambling sector must become more focused on reducing problem gambling and the possible negative consequences that could be inflicted to Glasgow people.
Gambling Has Been Described as Serious Public Health Issue in Glasgow
A nationwide survey which the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) held in 2018 found that approximately 14% of children between 11 and 16 years old were likely to have gambled at least once over the week preceding the survey.
Previously, gambling was described as a hidden epidemic by the Deputy leader David McDonald, who also called for the Glasgow council to further explore its powers and use them to lessen the negative impact which excessive gambling advertising could have on the local community. Recently, there have been calls for Glasgow to lead the way and tackle the increasing risks associated with gambling, which has been described as a serious public health issue.
These calls pushed the City Council to organise a summit and bring together researchers, councillors, experts, gambling charity organisations and people with experience of gambling-related harm to think of applicable measures which could be used to tackle spreading gambling and the negative consequences which could inflict serious harm to vulnerable society members, such as ex-gambling addicts, minors and young adults who are usually more predisposed to falling victims of problem gambling.
The convener for the Wellbeing, Empowerment, Community and Citizen Engagement Committee also revealed that researchers from the University of Edinburgh are set to conduct a study in some of the city’s schools over the next eighteen months in order to provide children with more information about gambling-related harms.
Dr Gillies has also confirmed that extreme gambling advertising is currently omnipresent and, unfortunately, leads to exposure of underage individuals to gambling adverts which could make gambling look normal to children. Dr Gilles further explained that it is difficult to say what the impact of excessive gambling advertising would be on the most vulnerable community members, so precautionary measures should apply.
- Author
Daniel Williams
