People who bet on sports are more likely to develop a problem, study suggests

A study showing people who bet on sports are more likely to succumb to problem gambling underlines the need for UK Government action.

The study, by researchers at Yale and the University of Nevada, found UK sports gamblers "tended to have high levels of problem gambling".

It also demonstrated that sports betting was "frequently associated" with "greater problem gambling severity".

CARE is acutely concerned about the relationship between big betting and football, which sees fans ‘bombarded’ with gambling ads.

The Gambling Act 2005, the main piece of legislation governing gambling in the UK, is considered out-of-date and toothless.

Successive Ministers have delayed a promised whitepaper on gambling, prompting huge criticism from campaigners.

Tim Cairns, a Senior Policy Officer at CARE and expert on gambling laws, stressed the need for action by Rishi Sunak's government:

“Studies like this provide yet more evidence that the toxic relationship between sport and the gambling industry needs to end. A person watching football on TV is bombarded with gambling adverts. It is estimated that during a televised football match, a viewer is subjected to more than three hundred impressions of gambling advertisements and company logos.

“Football is saturated with gambling and this recent study highlights why. People who gamble on sports are more likely to gamble more and be subject to harm. Companies know this. Eight Premier League clubs currently have front of shirt gambling sponsorship, with other Premier League teams having sleeve sponsorship or official partnerships with gambling companies.

“It is beyond time for the Government to step in and take action to protect sports fans that face gambling related harm and addiction. The Government cannot allow football, sport, and TV companies to self-regulate. Ministers need to publish the long-awaited whitepaper on gambling reform and get on with the job of protecting people in the UK from gambling harm.”

ENDS

Christian Action Research and Education (CARE) provides analysis of social policy from a Christian perspective. For more information or to request an interview, contact jamie.gillies@care.org.uk