According to GambleAware’s 2024 Annual Treatment and Support Survey, there has been a startling rise in the number of people in Great Britain seeking treatment for gambling-related issues.
Based on the survey, nearly 30% of adult gamblers in 2024 sought treatment for gambling-related problems, almost doubling the 17% who did so in 2020.
This increase indicates that roughly 3.8% of adults in the UK are currently harmed by gambling, which is a considerable rise from 2.4% four years ago.
The numbers also show wider effects on communities and families. An estimated 4.3m adults are affected by the rise in the percentage of people seeking help because of someone else’s gambling, which went from 6.5% in 2020 to 8.1% in 2024.
According to GambleAware’s analysis, approximately 2m children might reside in homes where an adult struggles with gambling.
Prize Draws and Public Support for Stronger Regulation
Although prize draws are not currently regulated as gambling activities, the survey found alarming connections between gambling harm and these activities.
Prize draws like Omaze and McDonald’s Monopoly are played by about 27% of individuals at risk of problem gambling, and 11% of all gamblers are thought to suffer harm directly associated with these activities.
These products have the potential to normalise gambling behaviour, especially among youth, according to GambleAware.
91% of respondents support a ban on gambling advertisements on television and in video games, and 90% support a ban on gambling advertisements on social media platforms, demonstrating the overwhelming public support for stronger advertising regulations.
GambleAware CEO, Zoe Osmond, commented: “We are increasingly alarmed by how gambling is being normalised and how frequently people — especially young people — are exposed to gambling across Great Britain.”
Between April 2023 and March 2024, the National Gambling Support Network — commissioned by GambleAware — treated nearly 11,000 individuals, a 12% increase from the year before.
95% of those who finished treatment showed improvement, and 7,500 of them received structured treatment, including cognitive behavioural therapy.
According to treatment outcomes, among those who finished their programs, the problem gambling rate decreased from 87% to 10%.
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