Global Impacts of Gambling and Sports Betting Revealed
Clinical Review by:
Published:
Nov 6, 2024
,
05:08 p.m.
ET
“No matter how you think you can outsmart the thing, they always win. Even if you think you've won some money, they've still won…” These words are those of a 19-year-old gambler who has experienced the negative impacts of gambling, including addiction.
Problem gambling has become a worldwide issue, with millions of people falling victim to the gambling industry's harms. The Lancet Public Health Commission took it upon themselves to look into the global impact of gambling and sports betting and released their findings in November 2024.
Key takeaways and stats from Lancet report
The Lancet Public Health, a world leading journal on public health, recently formed a commission on gambling and published a report that examined the impact that gambling has on public health. The commission consulted dozens of experts across a variety of fields and reviewed almost 300 studies before releasing their findings to the public. The overarching theme of the report is that gambling is incredibly harmful and highly addictive, causing an overall negative social impact. In the report the commission urges policymakers and governments around the world to view gambling as a public health concern the same way it does with other addictions like drugs or alcohol.
Globally consumers are projected to lose $700 billion from gambling by 2028. Gambling in some form is legal in over 80% of countries worldwide and has notably increased in low and middle-income countries where the infrastructure for regulation is weak. The growth of online gambling has made access to gambling virtually limitless and available anywhere there is internet. The gambling industry has become interconnected with other sectors, including software technology, IT infrastructure, financial technology, media, social media, professional sports and higher education. Tactics used to sell and promote other health harming products are also being used by stakeholders in the gambling industry.
Gambling has also become intertwined with politics as the industry lobbies to further commercial interest and promote the economic benefits of the tax revenue that gambling creates. Gambling is portrayed to the government and to citizens as a harmless activity and instead of taking responsibility for the negative impacts. The fault is being placed onto those who suffer from gambling addiction, stating that it is an individual's own issues that lead to developing problematic gambling habits.
The Lancet report estimates that the adverse negative impacts of gambling consequences affects an astonishing 447 million people with 80 million people directly suffering from problem gambling. The rates of gambling disorder have increased in recent years as access to online gambling has become easier, with 15.8% of adults and 26.4% of adolescents having a higher risk of developing gambling addiction. In order to best treat gambling addiction and work towards safer regulations around gambling, the commission states that using precautionary measures and utilizing the best available evidence are the two necessary steps that need to happen to make change.
Close relationships between gambling companies and researchers
Knowing the impact of gambling on society can be difficult as there is a concerning relationship between gambling companies and the researchers that conduct the studies around gambling. Private funding supports gambling research and then impacts the types of questions being asked and populations that are studied.
By privatizing a large portion of the research into gambling, it has impacted the body of evidence that informs policies and regulations, which is at best partial or worse, misleading. This research that is published continues the narrative that problem gambling is a consumer and individual issue, rather than the gambling industry playing a part in perpetuating addiction.
Lancet’s recommendations for solving a global Problem Gambling issue
Lancet provided key recommendations for solving global Problem Gambling. These included:
Gambling should be treated as a public health issue and protecting health and wellbeing should be prioritized over economic benefits.
Regardless of gambling being legal, all countries should have effective gambling regulations in place.
Where gambling is allowed, an independent regular that is focused on public health needs to be appointed.
Research, policy, regulation and treatment should be protected from commercial influence.
International entities and organizations should work to incorporate the negative impacts of gambling into their strategies for improving public health.
The development of an international alliance that includes civil society, those impacted by problem gambling, researchers and professional organizations to discuss continued ways to combat problem gambling.
Access to affordable and comprehensive gambling addiction care
Gambling Addiction treatment in the U.S.
There are multiple options for gambling addiction treatment in the United States. Depending on the severity of someone's gambling addiction, treatment options may include inpatient, outpatient, self-help groups, individual or family therapy and virtual therapy. If you have a loved one that is struggling with gambling addiction, Birches Health has gambling addiction specialists that offer remote therapy and support. You can get started with Birches by:
For immediate assistance, contact Birches Health at 833-483-3838 or email hello@bircheshealth.com.
Sources:
