Study: 67% of UK Gamblers Hide Their Addiction

GamblingAware, a British charity, has released a new study that shows how UK gamblers cope with and confess their gambling addiction. The survey involved adults who play games of chance.

Here are the main takeaways:

• Nearly two-thirds of gamblers (67%) who have ever had a gambling problem never told anyone about it.
• 39% of those who hid their gambling issues said they felt guilty or ashamed and feared being judged by others.
• 76% of those who finally opened up about their gambling addiction felt better afterward.
• 71% of respondents think that any kind of instant-win gambling can be very addictive. Among them, 64% singled out scratch games as the worst offenders, while 62% blamed casinos.

Zoë Osmond, GamblingAware’s Chief Executive, said, “It’s alarming to see the number of people who are struggling in isolation. As a hidden addiction, gambling harms can be incredibly hard to spot from the outside. It is therefore critical that people impacted are aware of the wide range of support services available and that they feel safe to come forward. Anyone can be impacted by gambling harms, but the first step is to open up and have that first conversation, ideally as early as possible”.