The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) will hold a conference in March to obtain a better understanding of gambling and the gambling behavior of UK customers. A total of 150 stakeholders from research, academia, and the gambling industry will participate in the conference, with representatives from the third sector and the UKGC’s own advisory bodies also expected to be in attendance.

UKGC Recognizes Limited Understanding of Gambling and Gambling Habits

Despite the increasing range of consumer research, gambling datasets, and analytics made available in recent years, the UKGC’s Director of Research and Statistics Ben Haden admitted that the collective understanding of general gambling behavior in the UK remains incomplete. The upcoming conference on March 9 is aimed at “closing the gaps” in knowledge regarding gambling.

The event kicks off with a speech from Alison Pritchard, Deputy National Statistician and Director General for Data Capability at the Office for National Statistics. Throughout the conference, there will be panels, presentations, and engagement on major topics and Q&As for the day. The event will be attended by a diverse line-up of speakers from within and outside the gambling industry. 

Conference Encourages Collaboration of Views

Haden acknowledges that with the diversity of attendees and speakers at the event, there will surely be mixed views on key subjects. But what’s important is that everyone gets to “be honest” about things they lack knowledge about, with the conference serving as an avenue for collaboration among stakeholders.

Hawaii Senator Stanley Chang has defended his proposal to ban gambling advertisements promoting Nevada casinos. 

Senate Bill 935, put forward by Chang, initially singled out gambling ads from casinos in Nevada, but that has now been removed with approval from the Senate’s Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection. The Committee voted 3-1 in favor of forwarding the Bill to the full Senate.

Chang Finds No Issues with Banning Gambling Ads from Nevada Casinos

While the specific mention of Nevada is now omitted from the Bill over fears the said provision could be unconstitutional, Chang believes an advertising ban on popular gambling destinations like Nevada would not encounter any legal issues considering that Hawaii is one of only two US states where all forms of gambling are considered illegal. It also does not have a state-operated lottery.

Chang said his proposal to ban gambling ads specific to Nevada casinos is not intended to discourage locals from visiting the gambling hub, admitting that he has been to Las Vegas multiple times, though not for gambling purposes as he is not a gambler.

Hawaii Dealing with Problem Gambling

Chang said he wants to correct the false perception that because there is no gambling in Hawaii, residents don’t experience any gambling-related harm. He said problem gambling is a real issue in the state but there are currently no funds dedicated to addressing it. That would change if his Bill passes both Houses and ultimately gets approval from Democratic Governor Josh Green.

The gambling industry must build reciprocal referral pathways with the debt-advice sector to help customers with gambling-related debt. That’s one of the key recommendations from GamCare’s second workshop which focuses on tackling problem gambling.

6 in 10 Brits Seeking Gambling Treatment had Debts

GamCare is part of the National Gambling Treatment Service (NGTS), a network of organizations providing free confidential treatment and support for individuals experiencing gambling-related harms. The latest data from the NGTS show that 6 in 10 people seeking gambling treatment had borrowed money to fund their gambling habit. Of those who had debts, 2% were unable to pay them off. 

GamCare’s workshop held in November 2022 was participated in by more than 60 attendees, with speakers from Lloyds Banking Group, Bristol University, and leading UK debt advice organizations PayPlan, StepChange, and Citizens Advice.

GamCare Calls for Better Referral Pathways

Highlighted during the workshop is the importance of establishing better referral pathways between sectors to minimize financial harm caused by gambling. 

The charity notes that clients will find it hard to pay off their debts if they are unable to control their gambling. This is based on feedback from people with lived experience of gambling-related debt.

Publishing the latest recommendations for addressing gambling-related debt, GamCare said the UK’s gambling industry, support and treatment services, and the debt advice sector must build reciprocal referral pathways to address gambling and debt simultaneously.

YGAM has had a successful 2022, with its social impact report for the year showing its evidence-based education programmes are helping in protecting young people throughout the UK from gambling-related harm.

Over 1.8 Million Young People Reached in 2022 

Overall, the independent charity had provided training to 4,819 delegates and 2,994 teachers and youth workers, according to its latest report. The workshops prove to be a huge help for teachers, with 98.1% of those trained now expressing confidence that they’ll be able to signpost young people to treatment programmes after receiving training from YGAM. That’s a huge jump from the 25.8% who said the same before the training. 

Furthermore, the charity had also trained 332 staff members at universities, along with 876 healthcare providers and 94 faith and community leaders. All in all, the charity reached an estimated 1,857,895 young people in 2022.

Preventative Education Vital in Fighting Gambling Harm

YGAM has always believed that preventative education is among the best methods for safeguarding the youth from the harmful effects of gambling. Its programmes and initiatives have been focused on conducting workshops for people who are on the front line of protecting children and young people from gambling harm.    

YGAM CEO Dr. Jane Rigbye praised the team for rising to the challenge and also thanked those who supported them over the past year. She said the latest figures are a “source of pride” for the charity as it continues to advocate for more investment in prevention initiatives rather than treatment.

Korea is seeing an increasing number of teens getting addicted to online gambling, with many of the victims being students. Based on figures from the Korea Problem Gambling Agency (KCGP), a total of 7,063 students were admitted for gambling addiction treatment from 2017 to 2021. 

COVID-19, Social Media Driving Teens Towards Online Gambling 

Among the main contributing factors to the rise in gambling addiction cases among Korean teens is the COVID-19 pandemic when people were mostly on home quarantine. Students in particular have had “greater accessibility” to gambling sites during that period, a counselor at Gangdong District’s Paichai High School said.

Gambling sites also actively target young players, according to a police officer from the Gyeonggi Bukbu Police Agency’s cyber bureau. 

The advent of social media has also led many students towards online gambling sites, with illegal operators recruiting players via social media pages. Online gambling has also become very popular among teens due to how easy and convenient it is to set up an online gambling account, with no face-to-face transactions required. 

A lot of youth-focused websites running illegally, such as Newtoki, also advertise online gambling services, contributing to the rise in numbers. 

Over 4.8% of Teens At Risk of Gambling Addiction

A recent survey conducted by Kstat Research shows that 26% of Korean students engaged in online gambling in the last three months, and 4.8 of them have been identified as at risk for addiction. A total of 18,444 students participated in the survey.