New study calls for stronger gambling regulations in the UK

New research conducted by the Gambling Research Group at Bournemouth University has revealed that young people are particularly exposed to the dangers of online gambling, but also scratchcards and physical gambling machines.

New research seeks to explore the harm of gambling products in the UK

Commissioned by GambleAware, the study sought to probe the risk factors that young people face and the results they experience as direct involvement with gambling products such as scratchcards, as well as physical and online casinos. The research was led by Dr Ruijie Wang, Senior Lecturer in Psychology, the Gambling Research Group project at Bournemouth University.

Dr Wang was joined by Dr Ala Yankouskaya, Dr Emily Arden-Close, Dr Elvira Bolat, and Professor John McAlaney who helped flesh out a fuller picture of how gambling products impact consumers, drawing from a data set of 40,000 participants who have gambled in Great Britain in the three years to conduct the research.

The research adopted an elaborate and comprehensive approach in which it sought to analyze the demographics, motivation, and behavior of gamblers, but it went a notch further by taking a look at how different verticals such as online casino games, physical games of chance, and sports wagering impacted the individuals participating in the hobby.

Researchers dug into even more contentious areas such as loot boxes, and digital containers available to customers, and usually adolescents, for money, and which can disburse a randomized prize. Critics of this mechanic have equated loot boxes to a form of gambling, with Dr Wang’s team further exploring this claim.

Low-risk products still tied to an increase in gambling-related harm experience

The team similarly took a look at the National Lottery as another potential source of problem gambling and gambling-related harm. Among the study’s highlights, the survey discovered that the National Lottery had a strong reach in the country, and that 600,000 people who have participated in its draws have qualified as having experienced problem gambling.

Another 500,000 who used scratch cards were also categorized as participants that have experienced a level of gambling-related harm, indicating that even the least harmful products may still cause harm.

Those in the age group between 18 and 34 who used gambling products at bookmakers or casinos were very likely to experience gambling-related harm. An estimated 76% of people using physical gambling machines, for example, as well as online casino games, were said to experience a degree of problem gambling.

Furthermore, people who engaged in different gambling activities were even more vulnerable to gambling harm.

More stringent gambling regulations are required across physical and digital gambling

Commenting on the survey’s findings, GambleAware CEO Zoe Osmond said that the new research was indicative that particular areas of the gambling experience were associated with an increased charm of gambling-related harm, which in turn takes a toll on "people’s lives, finances, careers, and relationships."

Osmond has said that the basis of the report ought to be used to strengthen safeguards in the industry. "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," she added.

Osmond’s concerns were shared by Dr Wang who similarly noted that the new research was evidence enough that the measures that safeguard online and physical gambling ought to toughen.

As things stand, people who engage in certain activities are more likely than average to experience harm and the Gambling White Paper outlined by the government may fail to enforce adequate measures.

"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," Dr Wang cautioned.

Not least, Dr Wang argued that gambling-like interactions in video games such as loot boxes must be restricted to individuals over the age of 18.

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