New report says 4.6M Germans struggle with gambling

A new report published by the Federal Drugs Commissioner Burkhard Blienert this Monday has taken a hard look at the state of gambling addiction in Germany, with the numbers suggesting that a total of 4.6m people suffer from gambling-related disorder or harm in some capacity.

The research was conducted as a collaborative project between the Institute for Interdisciplinary Addiction and Drug Research in Hamburg, the German Centre for Addiction Issues in Hamm, and the Gambling Research Department at the University of Bremen.

According to "The Gambling Atlas," at least 1.3m adults in the country are victims of a gambling disorder with a further 3.3m people showing various signs of gambling addiction. A total of €44.1bn was wagered in 2022, the report said although the bulk of the data covers an earlier period.

The data used in this study was compiled in 2021, for the most part, and it indicates that some 30% of the adult population is actively involved in gambling. Although the number may seem high, Germany has actually been on a path to reducing the percentage of players, dropping from nearly 55% in 2007.

Germany recently re-regulated its gambling industry to address the proliferation of black market operations and offer consumers a more pragmatic, safer, and worthwhile experience closer to home.

Yet, Blienert is highly critical of gambling and argued on the occasion of releasing the report that the activity rarely brings joy to players. His remarks come during Safer Gambling Week in the United Kingdom, an initiative designed to raise awareness for gambling harms and responsible play.

The Gambling Atlas outlines the most susceptible groups of individuals as young men between the ages of 21-35, who are more likely than other genders and sexes to engage in reckless gambling behavior and inflict themselves harm.

The report similarly notes that individuals with a "migratory background" are also at a higher risk of suffering from gambling, aligning itself with other studies from other markets that have found that although migrants tend to be less likely to gamble in general, they are disproportionally impacted by gambling harm in the first place.

The Gambling Atlas also tries to outline and better explain what gambling addiction is, calling it a destructive and excessive participation in the activity, which leads to serious issues and an inability to control financial spending related to gambling activities.

As these results surface, the Gambling industry in Germany is going at full throttle, with the tax windfall for the state’s coffers amounting to €5.1bn in 2021 alone.

Image credit: Unsplash.com