Problem gambling soars in lockdown As fears mount for young Scots at risk
Figures reveal rising scale of addiction as experts urge action
The number of Scots seeking help with problem gambling after lockdown has soared as experts voice deepening concerns.
Calls to Gamstop, a free service helping people restrict their online gambling, has climbed by 23% on pre-lockdown figures.
An estimated 207,000 Scots are addicted to gambling or at risk of developing an addiction, with specialists voicing particular concern about children and young people as one youth worker reveals a 10-year-old had recently been helped with gambling issues.
Fiona Palmer, chief executive of Gamstop, said: “Registrations to Gamstop from across the UK increased significantly throughout the pandemic, although it is difficult to gauge whether this is linked entirely to lockdown.
“We’ve seen a spike in registrations, and it is reassuring to know that those signing up are taking that all- important first step towards protecting themselves from gambling-related harm.”
A survey by charity umbrella group the Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland into young people and gambling in Scotland, found 24% of young people had gambled in the previous 12 months. Of those who had gambled, 8% said they did so every day.
The survey also explored the link between computer gaming and gambling, an area of growing concern. It found 60% of respondents had at some point opened a “loot box” – in- game purchases whereby the player buys, with real money, random virtual enhancements for their game character. Experts say that this establishes in children a link between paying money and the rush of an unknown outcome.
The A l l i a n c e’s Georgina Charlton said: “We hear from parents with concerns for their children. We hear a lot of concern about what is called the gamblification of gaming – with things like loot boxes in games.”
She said gambling appeared to have increased in lockdown: “People generally seems to have increased their gambling habits whether that is through improved access to gambling through smartphones or because of boredom during lockdown or other factors.”
The survey was carried out by Scotland’s national youthwork organisation Fast Forward, and Allie Cherry- Byrnes of Fast Forward said: “Young people are more exposed to gambling and gambling advertising than ever.
“This leaves children and vulnerable adults at an increased risk of experiencing a range of gambling harms that may impact them financially, psychologically and physically for years to come.
“As the environment for gambling continues to change, so must the preventative measures and safeguards we put in place to protect those most at risk.”
Conor Maxwell, youth, family and community learning team leader at South Lanarkshire Council, confirmed his team was seeing younger problem gamblers: “The youngest person we worked with was 10-years-old.
“One kid got scratchcards off their grandad. That was at primary six. It has been totally normalised. It starts to take its toll years later when they want to win higher and higher amounts. There were two lads that we dealt with whose behaviour changed. They were staying up all night, betting on the lower Argentinian football leagues. They were just 15.”
Geraldine Bedel of Parent Zone, a group which campaigns to keep children safe online, also pointed to the growing overlap between gaming and gambling.
She said: “Loot boxes borrow techniques from gambling to keep children playing and paying – and we know that heavy loot box use is linked to problem gambling. This is normalising gambling for children.”
A study by Stirling University showed around one in six regular gamblers started during lockdown. Professor Kate Hunt, of Stirling University’s Institute for Social Marketing and Health, said: “In lockdown, a minority continued to bet as some horse races and sports were still available in other countries but some people started gambling on new types of activity – including the lottery and virtual online sports – they had not previously engaged in.”
Experts fear the consequences of gambling addiction could not be more grave and Danielle Rowley, of Samaritans Scotland said: “There is a clear link between gambling and suicide and there is much more that needs to be done to reduce the devastating impact that gambling harms can have, not just on the individual but their family and loved ones, too.
“The gambling industry must take more responsibility and we expect to see gambling treated
as a public health issue by the government. We want to see new measures that are focused on preventing harm, such as slowing the speed of play on some games and limiting unaffordable losses.
“In addition, a mandatory levy on the industry should be introduced to pay for projects to reduce gambling harms and to ensure the regulator is properly funded.”
Reformed gambling addict Martin Paterson now campaigns on the issue and said: “My heart goes out to kids being bombarded
with this stuff. These loot boxes are similar to the fix of gambling. They are designed to give that ‘near miss’ addiction. There needs to be tighter regulation.”
The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC), the lobbying group that represents bookmakers, said their members had a strict zero- tolerance approach to betting by children, with most of this being outwith its control through scratchcards, playing cards and fruit machines.
It said: “In 2019, BGC members introduced the whistle-to-whistle ban on TV betting commercials during live sport before the 9pm watershed, which led to the number of such ads being seen by children at that time falling by 97%.
“In 2021, we introduced new rules aimed at ensuring children cannot view gambling ads on football clubs’ official social media accounts. Our members also introduced new age- gating rules on advertising on social platforms, restricting the ads to those aged 25 and over for most sites.
“The Betting and Gaming Council’s largest members are also determined to tackle the minority that suffer from problem gambling, by pledging an additional £ 100m of funding between 2019 and 2023 for research, education and treatment services to be administered by the independent charity Gambleaware.
“We are encouraged by the latest figures from the Gambling Commission that showed the rate of problem gambling in the UK was 0.2%.”