No one's talking about ... Gambling addiction
In March, we were each asked to do something that on the surface sounds straightforward – stay at home, save lives. For people struggling with addiction, this wasn't as simple as it sounds, and being at home with nothing but time gave rise to the perfect conditions for gambling addiction to flourish
Staying at home sounds simple enough, but as many of us would now agree, this is actually a lot more difficult than it sounds. Of course it’s not as straightforward as just staying at home and expecting life to continue as normal. Whilst the pandemic and the lockdown have impacted people differently, perhaps one lesser discussed impact of the pandemic has been on gambling tendencies.
A simple online search will reveal that almost as soon as the lockdown began in the UK, interest in online casinos hit an all-time high. This fact may not come as a shock given that lockdown meant the closure of physical gambling venues and the cancellation of sports events. What may be more surprising is that despite the increased interest in online gambling, there was an overall drop in gambling activity at the beginning of the lockdown.
This was mainly down to a reduction in more ‘casual’ gambling, with betting on live sporting events coming to a halt. However, the data from early stages of the lockdown showed that more ‘engaged’ gambling habits were worsening, with active gamblers spending more money during the lockdown. Although there were no sports events, the hundreds of online casino apps available make it easy for people to sit at home and while away the hours without even thinking about the money they're spending, hanging their hopes on 'instant win' promises.
Small amounts can soon mount up to significant sums, and with so many people in financial difficulty, these messages really play on those vulnerabilities. Now that the potential to gamble is in people's pockets, for those with addiction problems, it's almost impossible to get away from, particularly when the apps are designed to keep you coming back for more - take a look at the article on social media for more on how tech companies do this.
This presented a concerning context for those more at risk as factors contributing to gambling problems were amplified during the lockdown, such as financial distress, isolation and boredom. Numerous accounts have been given by individuals in recovery from gambling problems regarding these factors, which combined with the ease of access to online gambling is causing concern for many.
This has also shone a renewed light on the advertising of online gambling services, with the gambling industry pledging in March to stop radio and TV advertising during the lockdown, although concerns remain about online ads. Industry regulation was also changed in April to prevent the use of credit cards and e-wallets for gambling, as regulators cited the these as exacerbating some people’s issues, chasing gambling debts with additional funds.
Since the 31st March, all online gamblers in Britain have had to register with Gamstop. Gamstop is a free service that allows gamblers to self-exclude from online gambling sites with one registration. They choose a minimum exclusion period of either six months, one year, or five years. Although there’s been a rise in the number of people asking for their exclusion to be reversed since lockdown began, once registered, the service doesn’t allow cancellation until the minimum period originally selected has expired.
Whilst concerns around online gambling during the continued lockdown period remain high, particularly for engaged gamblers, the lockdown does seem to have triggered a renewed interest from regulators around the advertisement of gambling services and new procedures have been introduced since the beginning of the lockdown, to make it easier for individuals to exclude themselves from online gambling sites. Whilst this is a step in the right direction, many will feel that the regulation of the gambling industry as a whole still has a long way to go in order to better monitor irresponsible behaviour from outlets, and offer more help to those with gambling problems.
If you think you might have a problem with gambling, here are some resources where you can get help:
- Check to see if your employer has an employee assistance programme. This service often includes counselling and resources to help you become less reliant on gambling.
- GamCare: a confidential support service with an online live chat function and self assessment tools
- Be Gamble Aware: Get help for yourself but also if you're worried about someone else