Britons gamble with their future as they take a flutter

As long as people have had money in their hands, they have enjoyed a flutter.

But although gambling is nothing new the number of people who are having a bet is increasing. A study, published yesterday by the Gambling Commission, found that almost three-quarters of the adult population took part in some form of betting last year, the highest level since its first report back in 1999. The British Gambling Prevalence survey, which covered 7,756 adults over 16, also suggests there are now 451,000 problem gamblers in the UK, compared with about 300,000 three years ago.

Buying National Lottery tickets remains the most popular gambling activity, followed by scratchcards, betting on horse races and playing slot machines. Gambling rates were highest among those who were married or had been married, while problem gamblers tended to be younger males whose parents had experienced their own gambling addiction.

At present, the betting industry donates about £5m a year to research, education and treatment for gambling addicts. However, the British Medical Association wants to see this figure doubled. Dr Vivienne Nathanson, the BMA’s head of science and ethics, says problem gambling is a serious health issue.

“It is associated with a number of health problems and the BMA is concerned that there are insufficient treatment facilities available. Psychological problems can include anxiety, depression, guilt and suicidal thoughts. Relationships with family and friends can also be affected by gambling, sometimes leading to separation and divorce.

“There needs to be treatment for problem gambling available on the NHS similar to drug and alcohol services. The BMA is calling on the gaming industry to pay at least £10m per year via the Responsibility in Gambling Trust to fund research, prevention and intervention programmes.”

GamCare is a gambling addiction charity, partly funded by the betting industry, which receives more than 100 calls a day to its helpline and provides counselling help to more than 2,000 people a year. Its chief executive Andy McLellan is not surprised by this rise in problem gambling, even during a time of financial hardship. “Gambling is, to some extent, recession proof if it’s part of someone’s social activity. But what the survey shows is there’s a very clear need, perhaps a greater need than there has ever been, that people who get into problems with gambling know where to go to get help.

“The vast majority of people who gamble do it safely and responsibly, but the number of people who are problem gamblers is getting larger. Which is why we need to get gambling on the education agenda so that people are aware of the risks,” he said.

One of the factors linked to this rise was the introduction of the 2005 Gambling Act, which as well as ensuring that casinos, bookmakers and online betting firms had to meet strict conditions to win a licence, allowed operators to advertise on TV and radio for the first time.

Jon May, Professor of Psychology at Plymouth University, says this has helped make gambling more socially acceptable. “TV advertising is certainly more prevalent. But adverts focus on giving people positive messages, they don’t focus on losing even though the odds of winning the lottery are incredibly slim.”

He says the way people gamble has also changed. “People’s first gambling experience is no longer in some seedy-looking place with blacked out windows, instead they’re likely to be enticed into buying a lottery ticket while buying some milk in the supermarket.”

Dr Mark Griffiths, professor of gambling studies at Nottingham Trent University, has spent 25 years researching this issue. “There have been some fundamental changes since the last survey. Firstly, we are seeing more people gambling on more than one type, it’s not just the National Lottery. And secondly, there is an increase in the number of females who are gambling,” he says.

“Although in relative terms it is still a small problem, what we have seen is a significant statistical increase that can’t be ignored. We don’t know yet if this is a trend or whether it’s reached its peak. But I believe gambling should be seen alongside smoking and drinking as a public health risk. We need to see greater emphasis on education and prevention because the children of today are the gamblers of tomorrow.”

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GamCare helpline: 0845 6000 133.