Gambling

(asked on 1st April 2022) - View Source

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the (1) prevalence, and (2) cost to the Exchequer, of gambling-related harm in each of the last three years.


Answered by
Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay Portrait
Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
This question was answered on 7th April 2022

Public Health England’s (PHE) evidence review of gambling-related harms reported that 0.5% of the adult population reached the threshold to be considered ‘problem gamblers’ (defined as those gambling with negative consequences and a possible loss of control), and that this proportion has remained relatively consistent since 2012. PHE’s review also included estimates on the costs associated with gambling-related harm. On costs to the Exchequer, the report estimated the annual direct costs associated with people who are problem gamblers to be approximately £647 million, but was unable to make a direct assessment of the costs caused by gambling-related harm.

Additional data on problem gambling prevalence comes from the Gambling Commission’s quarterly participation and prevalence survey, the latest results of which were published in February. The survey found that in the year to December 2021, the overall problem gambling rate was statistically stable at 0.3%, compared to the year to December 2020. In the year to December 2019, the rate was 0.6%.

Our Review of the Gambling Act aims to ensure that the protections in place to prevent harm are appropriate and effective for the digital age. It is looking at issues regarding research as part of its broad scope.

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