
New research conducted by Bournemouth University’s (BU) Gambling Research Group reveals the harmful risks that different types of gambling can have on young people.
The research is part of a report published today by the independent charity GambleAware who commissioned BU to conduct research into the effects of different types of gaming environments.
Led by BU’s Dr Ruijie Wang, Senior Lecturer in Psychology, the Gambling Research Group project team members include Dr Ala Yankouskaya, Dr Emily Arden-Close, Dr Elvira Bolat, and Professor John McAlaney. The research involved secondary analysis on combined datasets from GambleAware’s Annual Great Britain Treatment and Support (T&S) Survey. The dataset involved over 40,000 participants who gamble across Great Britain over the course of three years. Data was collected and analysed on the demographics, motivation, behaviour and risks associated with 17 different types of gambling devices including physical gambling machines, online casino games, betting on sports, horse and dog racing, loot boxes, and the National Lottery draw.
The key findings from the report include:
- 76% of people only using physical gaming machines and 25% of people only using online casino games were experiencing “problem gambling”.
- Young adults aged18-34 years old predominantly used gambling machines at bookmakers or gambling in casinos compared to older adults of 55 years old and above. Both activities show a strong association with the likelihood of experiencing “problem gambling”.
- ‘Loot boxes’, often found in video games aimed at young people, blurred the line between gaming and gambling. Half of loot box users displayed some level of gambling risk.
- The National Lottery draw has a wide reach, with an estimated 600,000 people experiencing “problem gambling” using the draw and 500,000 using scratch cards also experience “problem gambling”.
- Engaging in multiple gambling activities significantly increases the risk of gambling harms.
The research findings in the report brings into question some of the measures outlined in the UK government’s Gambling White Paper. Dr Ruijie Wang added: “This research was designed to explore the risks of harm from different types of gambling in the context of regulatory changes that were proposed within the UK government’s Gambling White Paper. 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.”
GambleAware, who funded the research, are an independent charity and strategic commissioner of gambling harm, education, prevention, and treatment across Great Britain. Zoe Osmond, CEO of GambleAware said: “This new research shows that there are some particular types of gambling which can lead to an increased chance of experiencing gambling harm, which can have a corrosive effect on people’s lives, finances, careers and relationships. The report suggests the measures outlined in the Gambling White Paper do not go far enough to protect people. This is why we are calling for the recommendations in this report to be adopted as they will help ensure that people can be better protected.”
The report calls for more restrictions on the availability and design of physical gambling machines, including reducing the number of machines in venues, slowing spin speeds, lowering stakes and implementing mandatory breaks. Other recommendations included implementing additional protective measures in online casino games and restricting access to gambling-like practices such as loot boxes for individuals under 18 years old.
For further information about the Psychology courses available, please visit the BU website.
Anyone concerned about how gambling makes them feel can search GambleAware for advice, tools and support, or call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133