Ethnic minority groups at higher risk of gambling harm

New research published by the Gambling Commission shows that those from ethnic minority groups are more likely to be at risk of problem gambling, despite lower participation rates.

The Gambling Commission’s research looked at data from the Gambling Survey for Great Britain over the past three years. The data collected enabled them to consider for the first time gambling behaviours from various ethnic backgrounds across the UK.

The data found that people from White background were more likely than those from ethnic minority backgrounds to have gambled over the past four weeks. However, this was driven by participation in the National Lottery, and other charity lotteries, which were much more common among White participants.

Participation in non-lottery gambling was highest among those from Mixed or Multiple ethnic backgrounds. In-person betting was five times more common among people from Mixed or Multiple ethnic backgrounds than those from White backgrounds.

Additionally, those from ethnic minority backgrounds were more likely to exhibit problem gambling (scoring 8 or more on the Problem Gambling Severity Index, PGSI) than White gamblers. They were also more likely to report severe consequences of gambling, such as relationship breakdown or problems with health or finances. Gamblers from minority ethnic backgrounds were more likely to report adverse consequences across a range of PGSI scores, including those who scored zero (indicating ‘non-problem gambling’), suggesting that adverse consequences from gambling can occur in ways not captured by the PGSI.

Those from ethnic minority backgrounds were more likely to seek support for their gambling, but the use of support services across all backgrounds were still lower than the levels of need. For gamblers with a PGSI score of three or more (at ‘moderate’ risk of problem gambling), 75% had not accessed any kind of support, regardless of their ethnic background.

The Gambling Commission say that their research has “been able to identify important differences that were previously hidden within broader ethnicity categories.” “Further research”, they conclude, “will be important for understanding why people from ethnic minority backgrounds may be at greater risk of gambling-related harm, and how prevention and support can be effectively implemented.”