Gambling addiction poses ‘a threat to public health’, report warns

It’s everywhere.

Celebrities like Drake mail on Instagram about their winnings at online casinos. Podcast advertising promotes sports betting. Friends accidentally use “express” in group texts.

Gamble has reached a new level all over the world.

A new report from an international panel of 22 health and policy experts warns of the risks associated with gambling in an era of easy online access.

“Our conclusion is clear: gambling poses a threat to public health,” said the report, published Thursday in the journal Lancet Public Health Journal. Researchers from the World Health Organization and other agencies on five continents said that addressing this growing problem requires “significant expansion and tightening of regulation of the gambling industry.”

Gambling disorder, or addiction, has been studied widely for decades. The factors here are different than with other forms of addiction: with gambling, people don’t hit a wall (like people who overdose on drugs) unless they run out of money.

And access to Las Vegas-style slot machines and game day bets is easier than ever.

“Anyone with a mobile phone now has access to what is essentially a casino in their pocket, 24 hours a day,” Heather Wardle, co-chair of the panel and professor of gambling research and policy at the University of Glasgow in Scotland. the statement says. “Highly developed marketing and technology make it easier to start gambling and harder to stop gambling,” and users are encouraged to have “repeated and longer interactions.”

Globally, nearly 450 million adults engage in so-called “risky gambling,” which can affect finances, mental health, relationships and work, according to the report, based on a review and analysis of previous gambling research. Risky gambling leads to behavioral changes that affect a person’s life and health, the report says. About 80 million people reach a more severe form called gambling disorder or problem gambling.

However, the researchers said this number is likely an underestimate.

The report estimates that nearly 16% of adults and more than 26% of teenagers who use online casinos or slot machines suffer from gambling addiction. It is estimated that nearly 9% of adults and more than 16% of teenagers who bet on sports suffer from addiction.

In addition to significant financial losses, gambling can increase the risk of suicide and domestic violence, the report notes.

The report examined new gambling laws enacted between 2018 and 2023 in 80 jurisdictions, including most U.S. states. He has also examined gambling in countries where it is illegal but where internet access allows it to flourish.

In 2018 The US Supreme Court overturned the previous ban on sports betting. Since then, 38 states have legalized gambling, and its popularity has grown exponentially.

The report examines the rationale for these laws. US laws tend to focus on possible income benefitswhereas European laws focus on public health risks.

The researchers recommended that governments prioritize health when passing gambling laws over the tax revenue that businesses might generate. The commission focused on policy solutions such as reducing the marketing and availability of gambling, limiting government influence over gambling, and eliminating research funded by the gambling industry. The report also calls for stronger oversight to protect children and consumers nationally and internationally from the harmful effects of gambling.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call or text 1-800-GAMBLER, operated by National Council on Problem Gambling.