GambleAware has published a report that focuses on how members of minority groups are affected by gambling and problem gambling, in particular. With the support of the University of Manchester, the study was conducted by Ipsos UK and ClearView Research. According to the findings, there is a definitive link between the discrimination faced by minority groups and gambling harm.
One of the first issues the report examined was the connection between racism, discrimination and financial difficulties, with 57% of participants who belong to a minority group pointing to their financial situation as what led them to partake in gambling. These findings back claims by respondents that, due to racism and discrimination, they had difficulty in finding employment and retaining job positions, which in turn led to financial struggle. The survey participants explained that they turned to gambling because they viewed it as an alternative means of making money.
Disparities were also found when it came to mental health and gambling harm. According to the survey, 18% of minority group participants said that they partook in gambling as a way of coping with mental health issues. This contrasts the 6% of white British majority individuals who reported having had the same reasoning to gamble.
Minority Groups Burdened by Gambling Harm are Often Unable to Get Support
Many participants belonging to minority groups identified difficulties in finding support when it came to gambling harm. The survey results reviewed that 4% of minority group participants were not aware of where they could get help, while less than 1% of individuals from white British majority groups reported having had the same issue. Language barriers and lack of representation were cited as the leading causes.
The survey’s results also point to discrimination being a barrier that prevents minority communities from getting treatment. Participants from minority backgrounds said that past experiences of racism and discrimination made them hesitant to seek help from support services. According to the survey, 3% believed that they would be judged by their healthcare provider should they seek help. White British majority group participants, on the other hand, were three times less likely to consider this to be a potential issue they could face.
Other findings show that individuals belonging to minority groups are 50% more likely to be discriminated against in public if they suffer from problem gambling, in comparison to adults from minority groups who do not face gambling-related harm. Issues such as social exclusion, isolation, and social stigma were also among the problems the survey focused on.
GambleAware Will Take Further Measures to Adress the Issue
GambleAware CEO Zoë Osmond, said that although gambling-related issues are something that anyone can be affected by, problem gambling can more often affect minority groups that face social inequality, and the harm caused is more severe as well. She emphasised that the National Gambling Support Network is where individuals can find “confidential, tailored support for people from all backgrounds.”
Given the results shown in the survey, GambleAware will open a new £4.3 billion funding programme this December in order to assist minority groups in combating problem gambling, and organisations across the UK will be given access to the funds. According to GambleAware Chief Commissioning Officer Anna Hargrave, the programme seeks to mitigate “the inequality of experience of gambling harm” for women and individuals belonging to minority religions and minority ethnic groups.
- Author
Daniel Williams
