A new study has found that approximately two in three adults who are negatively affected by gambling were acquainted with someone who gambled when they were a child.
The survey that was held among 18,000 adults by YouGov on behalf of GambleAware showed that early exposure to gambling as a result of enhanced gambling advertising and TV marketing or seeking parents and other family members gamble can be associated with a greater risk of suffering gambling-related harm later in life.
About 64% (or almost two in three) of the people categorised as experiencing high rates of gambling-related harm shared that they knew a person who was a regular gambler and gambled at least once a week before they turned 18. In comparison, just 25% (or one in four) of the people who do not gamble said they knew someone who gambled regularly when they were young.
The research suggests that about 6% of the survey participants were first exposed to gambling before the age of five. This percentage rate reaches a much higher point, of 28% between the ages of six and 11. Apart from that, 22% (or one in five) of the adults reported that they participated for the first time in a gambling activity after the age of 18, while about 16% (or one in six) started gambling between the age of 12 and 17.
Social Stigma on Problem Gambling Has to Be Ended, GambleAware CEO Says
The largest gambling charity in the UK – GambleAware – shared that the survey responses suggested that many considered the data mentioned above a “turning point”, but there were also multiple people who believed gambling was a hobby that had been running in the family. Unfortunately, that inheritance often leads to harmful gambling behaviour.
According to the results of the report, about 7% of British adults identify themselves as “affected other”, or people who have been hurt by another person’s harmful gambling habits.
As far as underage individuals are concerned, an estimated 1.6 children under the age of 18 currently live with an adult who is categorised as a problem gambler. On the other hand, almost 50% of the people experiencing significant gambling-related harm feel ashamed of their gambling all or most of the time, while more than one-third of British gambling addicts (34%) have not sought any professional advice or treatment to help them drop the harmful habit.
GambleAware’s CEO Zoe Osmond has shared the organisation’s concern about the rising normalisation of gambling among British people. The latest report clearly highlights a potential connection between gambling exposure at an early age and experiencing gambling-related harm later in life, not to mention a worrying trend of parents who feel unable to protect their children from excessive gambling advertising on TV, radio, and social media channels.
As Ms Osmond explained, putting an end to the stigma associated with gambling is a matter of paramount priority in order to encourage more gambling addicts to turn to support and professional treatment services and finally deal with the multiple negative consequences associated with gambling.
- Author
Daniel Williams
