Harmful Types of Gambling Revealed by a GambleAware Report
GambleAware’s report highlights the most harmful types of gambling and explains what can be done to reduce their impact.
Key Facts:
- GambleAware’s report lists particular gambling areas likely to be the most harmful.
- These include electronic gaming machines, loot boxes and online casino games.
- Work needs to be done to reduce the harmful impact of gambling harms.
GambleAware has released a report carried out by Bournemouth University that looked at multiple types of gambling and the risks each one of them poses. Featured in the report were electronic gaming machines, National Lottery draws, online casino games and loot boxes.
Results of the Study
The study found that two types of gambling, in particular, were associated with the highest risks of people developing serious problems further down the line. These were online casino games and electronic gaming machines found in both bookmakers and land-based casino venues.
Both of these are known for their rather quick gameplay, with players able to complete a large number of rounds or spins in a minute. They can also produce quick wins. Both of these can make online casino games and electronic gaming machines addictive.
Online gambling seems to have more of a negative reputation than real-world gambling, thanks to how convenient and easily accessible it is. Despite this, the study found that electronic gaming machines posed the biggest risk.
They were 10 times more likely than average to cause someone to suffer from gambling-related harms in the future. As for online casino games, they were four times as likely to do the same. This is despite the UK Gambling Commission introducing many restrictions on them in recent years.
Comments on the Study and Its Results
Zoë Osmond, the CEO of GambleAware, has said the following about the study and its results:
The research also brings into question some of the measures outlined in the Gambling White Paper such as relaxations in land-based gambling, which could lead to an increase in electronic gaming machines in venues, and having different online slot stake limits for those aged over 25 – we believe people over 25 should have the same lower limits as those who are younger. – Zoë Osmond, GambleAware CEO, GambleAware CEO Comments on Gambling Harms Report, SBC News
She also mentioned that the current measures aren’t enough to give people the protection from gambling harms they need. She believes the recommendations listed in the report should be adopted if people are to have the best protection.
The availability of both electronic gaming machines and online casino games should be restricted further to prevent potentially vulnerable people from accessing them. Both forms of gambling could be redesigned in a more responsible way to make them less addictive.
Operators of gambling venues and websites should be doing more to offer support tailored to the individual whenever someone is showing signs of developing a gambling problem. The warning signs should be spotted and dealt with as soon as possible.
Loot Boxes and the National Lottery Draw
As for loot boxes, it was found that 50% of people who purchased them were at some level of risk. What’s concerning about these is that they’re essentially a form of gambling that are prevalent in video games, including those played by underage people.
They’re not technically classed as gambling, which is why underage people can legally purchase them. However, they can still be addictive because of how easy they are to purchase and the random nature of the contents buyers receive.
The study also found that around 600,000 people who were said to be experiencing problem gambling regularly bought tickets for the National Lottery. Half a million people suffering from gambling problems were regular buyers of scratchcards.
GambleAware’s report suggests that to help those experiencing harm from gambling, the National Lottery should promote charities such as GambleAware and other services more actively. While the lottery is somewhat more socially acceptable than casino games, it can cause similar problems.
What Can Be Done
One of the people involved in the study, Dr Ruijie Wang from Bournemouth University, explained the motivation behind the research. She said that the UK government’s Gambling White Paper, which proposes various regulatory changes and updates, prompted the study. She has also said the following:
The results highlight the need for more stringent gambling regulation, particularly in online slots and land-based electronic gaming machines due to their high risk of harm to young adults. More regulation is also needed to limit gambling-like practices in video gaming, such as loot boxes, to individuals aged over 18 years as the interaction between video gaming and gambling should not be ignored. – Dr Ruijie Wang, Bournemouth University, Comments on GambleAware Report, SBC News
It remains to be seen what impact the study and GambleAware’s report will have. However, there’s a very good chance that the UK Gambling Commission will introduce further limits and restrictions on the types of gambling highlighted as particularly harmful.
