Numbers seeking help for gambling problems surge to record level

The number of people seeking help for problem gambling rose by over 10,000 last year.

More than 52,000 people called the National Gambling Helpline in 2023 asking for support or counselling, up from around 42,000 in 2022.

Some advisors for the helpline said they had noticed more people contacting them because they were concerned about someone else’s gambling, and that this was particularly noticeable during the Christmas period.

Website-blocking software

The helpline advisors also reported that some addicts told them they struggled to watch television with their families, due to the prevalence of gambling advertising.

Last year also saw 7,000 people installing and using the Gamban app to self-exclude from gambling websites and apps. Once installed, Gamban blocks the user’s access to online gambling, and also provides advice on how to combat and break gambling addiction.

Writing on X, Gamban said: “The targeting of self-excluded gamblers by unregulated crypto casinos and unlicensed gambling sites is appalling. We’re pleased tools like ours that can block these sites at device level, using a constantly updating blocklist, are being made widely available to those in recovery.”

The software is deliberately difficult to remove from devices once installed, to prevent gamblers in recovery from falling off the wagon if their willpower fails.

Pulled in

Speaking to Premier Christian Radio, The Christian Institute’s Ciarán Kelly said the Government needs to address the root of the problem, saying: “A lot more needs to happen, particularly in the area of advertising.

“Advertising is what presents gambling to people as an attractive option, it’s always the win scenarios that get presented. You don’t generally see a television advert where someone is saying, ‘I went to this betting company and I lost loads of money, come to them too’.

“Advertising doesn’t work that way, it’s set up to be attractive and to draw people in, often with devastating consequences.”

‘Landmark climb’

Claire Murdoch, NHS England’s mental health director, said: “Gambling addiction is a cruel mental health condition that can ruin people’s lives. The NHS is playing its part in treating it, with 12 gambling harms clinics currently open as part of our £2.3 billion investment into mental health services.”

From April 2022 to March 2023, there were 1,389 referrals to NHS gambling clinics. This continues the steady rise over the last three years, which saw 785 referrals in 2020-21, and 1,013 in 2021-22.

Samantha Turton of GamCare, a charity that seeks to help people with gambling addictions, said: “We are used to seeing small increases in the volume of people contacting us each year. However, in 2023 there has been a landmark climb in people reaching out who want to start their recovery journey from gambling.

“While it is concerning to see the rising numbers who need help, we are encouraged that advisers are reporting an increase in calls from people who are reaching out at an earlier stage.”