Britons looking to escape the pressure brought on by tough economic times are increasingly turning to gambling, according to report by the UK Gambling Commission.
The British Gambling Prevalence survey found that almost three-quarters of the country’s adults engaged in some form of gambling last year and that over half a million people could have a serious gambling problem.
Church groups and charities voiced concerns that problem gambling appeared to have risen since betting laws were liberalised by the Labour government in 2005.
The survey of 7,756 adults over 16 found that 59% of those questioned had played the National Lottery at least once in 2010, up from 57% in 2007, making it the most popular form of gambling in the country. Private betting, horse racing, scratch cards and slot machines all remained popular whilst the only form of gambling to fall in popularity was the football pools, down from 9% in 1999 to 4% last year.
The vast majority of respondents said they gambled for a bit of fun and the outside chance of winning a substantial sum of money but the survey found a rise in the number of “problem gamblers”.
The Commission defines a problem gambler as somebody with a tendency to “chase their losses”, lie to hide the extent of their gambling, cause a breakdown in relationships because of their habit or steal to fund their gambling.
Malcolm Brown, director of mission and public affairs at the Church of England, said: “Problem gamblers become sucked into a distorted view of reality and often drag themselves and their families into insecurity and poverty. This is not just a matter of personal morality and character, but a problem exacerbated by the values communicated by the wider social and policy context.”
Tourism Minister John Penrose said that the rise in problem gambling was a direct result of the introduction of the Gambling Act which allowed betting shops and other gambling businesses to advertise and companies to open an increasing number of casinos: “The Labour government liberalised gambling laws but failed to implement the safeguards needed to protect the public and as a result the number of problem gamblers has risen to almost half a million.
“We are looking into this urgently and will announce shortly measures to tackle it. Once again, the Coalition has been left to clear up the mess left by Labour.”
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