GambleAware, the leading charity focused on gambling harms prevention and treatment, has released a new study that sheds light on how people from marginalized and socially excluded communities in Great Britain are disproportionately affected by gambling harms. The research reveals that many individuals from these communities turn to gambling as a way to cope with the challenges they face, such as loneliness, mental health issues, and poverty.
Social Exclusion and Gambling: A Common Thread
The study, funded by GambleAware and conducted by The National Centre for Social Research (NatCen), analyzed 138 previous studies to understand how socially excluded groups are impacted by gambling. These groups include those at risk of homelessness, older individuals, people living with disabilities, neurodiversity or mental health challenges, criminalized communities, and migrants in vulnerable circumstances, such as asylum seekers.
Despite the diversity of these groups, the research identified a common theme: gambling is often used as a coping mechanism to deal with other difficulties in life. These difficulties, driven by social exclusion or discrimination, include loneliness, stress related to migration, unemployment, job insecurity, and poverty. For many, gambling is seen as a way to temporarily escape these problems or as a potential means to overcome financial hardship.
The Role of Stigma and Accessibility
The study also highlighted the disproportionate concentration of gambling venues in deprived areas of Great Britain, where marginalized communities are more likely to reside due to socioeconomic disenfranchisement. This increased exposure to gambling venues further exacerbates the risks of gambling harm within these communities.
Stigma was another significant factor identified in the research. Individuals from marginalized communities already face stigma related to issues like drug use, homelessness, or mental health challenges. This stigma is compounded when gambling harm is added to the mix, creating additional barriers to seeking support and treatment. The study underscores the importance of GambleAware’s campaigns to reduce the stigma surrounding gambling harm, aiming to make it easier for affected individuals to seek help.
Recommendations for Gambling Treatment Services
The report makes several recommendations to improve gambling treatment services. It emphasizes the need for services to be accessible, inclusive, and adaptive to the diverse needs of marginalized communities. The study calls for further research to explore gambling harms among discriminated-against communities, citing a lack of current evidence and understanding of their unique experiences and needs.
GambleAware has already taken steps to improve access to services for these communities. The charity launched the “Improving Outcomes for Women and Minority Communities Affected by Gambling Harm” funding programme, investing over £4 million in 25 organizations across Great Britain. These organizations, such as Investing in People and Culture and the Flowhesion Foundation, are working to address gambling harms among ethnically diverse refugee communities and Pashtoon-speaking women, respectively.
Voices from the Community
Zoë Osmond, Chief Executive of GambleAware, emphasized the importance of engaging with marginalized communities to build awareness around gambling harm and ensure service providers meet their needs.
“Our new report shows how people from marginalized communities, who are already dealing with many different issues in their lives, struggle with gambling harms. There needs to be more engagement with these communities to build awareness around the risks of gambling harm, and service providers need to ensure they can appropriately meet the needs of people in different circumstances. This is why we launched our Improving Outcomes Fund, to support organizations which are running programs to help people from different communities.”
Natalie, an individual who experienced gambling harm and homelessness, shared her personal experience, highlighting the challenges of recovering from gambling addiction without stable housing.
“To break free from gambling harm, you need to have a safe place to live. If you don’t have shelter, it makes trying to recover so much harder, and it can be difficult to access support without a permanent address. We need improved ease of access for accommodation and support, and to ensure sufficient housing options are available for people experiencing disadvantage from addiction.”
Dr. Sokratis Dinos from NatCen’s Centre for Gambling Research noted the significance of the study’s findings, stating,
“We were pleased to carry out this study for GambleAware. The report is a collection of findings and analysis of six scoping reviews, which were conducted to critically appraise existing evidence on gambling harms among communities in Great Britain who are subject to disproportionate marginalization, social exclusion, or subject to criminalization. The results show how vulnerability to gambling harms for some people in these communities will be driven by compounding inequalities, stigma, exclusion, and discrimination.”
The study serves as a crucial step in understanding and addressing the gambling harms faced by marginalized communities in Great Britain, highlighting the need for continued efforts to reduce stigma, improve accessibility to services, and foster a more inclusive approach to gambling harm prevention and treatment.