A recent study by the Derby City Council has revealed that gambling can potentially affect health and wellbeing at all levels from individuals to communities, as well as into wider society. The report goes into detail with regards to the ways online marketing and advertising strategies are becoming more targeted and effective, reaching out to huge audiences and influencing their behavior. Unfortunately, this could also include minors and vulnerable persons. The report’s summary elaborates that although gambling is illegal for those under 18, it has become more accessible, normalized in society, and marketed to a broad audience, including children. National estimates indicate that nearly 30,000 young people in the UK are dealing with problem gambling. The report also notes that gambling, much like alcohol and tobacco, can have detrimental effects on an individual’s life, health, and well-being. This is further complicated by the easy access to UK No Deposit Casinos, which contribute to the normalization and promotion of gambling among young people.
Risky Business
The report, entitled ‘Gambling with our Health’ goes into detail with regards to the possible adverse impact the gambling industry is having on Derby’s community. Dr Robyn Dewis, Director of Public Health at the Derby City Council addressed the fact that at times gambling is often overlooked as a harmful activity, mostly because it doesn’t have direct physical repercussions, which unfortunately is the case with several mental health issues. She also noted that gambling-related harm could range from loss of finances, relationship breakdowns, crime, substance misuse, all the way to addiction and even suicide. “This harm does not only affect the individual but also whole families and communities”. Dr Dewis also mentioned that very often problem gamblers feel very judged by society, meaning that they will often not seek out the help they need willingly. “While the harms from gambling add up quickly, recovery can also take a longer time”. According to the study, the most common types of gambling-related harms currently affecting the community of Derby included stress and anxiety caused by gambling (83%), depression and poor mental health (60%), difficulties maintaining relationships or family issues (60%), financial struggles (73%), and suicidal thoughts or history (13.3%). In terms of demographics, this particular group was made up of 67% male and 33% female respondents, with 73.3% of them aged 46 or younger.
Tip of the Iceberg
Apart from stressing the importance of raising further awareness with regards to problem gambling, the report also puts things into financial perspective. For starters, the citizens of Derby collectively spent £314,000 ($400,000) last year, with 514 individuals identifying as problem gamblers. At a national level, despite underage gambling being illegal, 31% of children in the UK were able to spend their own money on online gambling platforms in the past twelve months, while one in every two adults aged over 16 years of age have gambled this year, 48% of them in the last four weeks. While of course, not all gambling is a problem, financially disadvantage people face much larger risks. Apart from that, gambling addictions can occur at the same time with additional issues such as poor mental health.
The Not-So Cool Kids
The report also indicates that due to the massive surge in social media presence, gambling adverts are starting to become a part of everyday life. When addressing the younger demographic of respondents, 84.4% claimed they had seen a gambling ad, a betting shop, or a slot machine in a pub, while 79.2% said they had seen an ad on TV. 70.1% also noted they had seen ads on streaming channels such as YouTube, while 67.5% said they had seen ads on social media apps such as Snapchat and TikTok. The study shows how many youths perceive gambling as an easy way to get rich quickly, allowing them to afford the luxury lifestyle portrayed by various influencers. “They literally make you do it,” a female responded is quoted in saying in the report. Others noted that at times they felt peer pressured into the situation or made use of gambling platforms as a way to make new friends or communicate with different people.
