To be shocked that half a million people are problem gamblers?

[brasty]

Heard on news that half a million people in the UK are problem gamblers. Just shocked that it is so high.

I would be interested to know the criteria for this study.

I bet that's not correct!

lalliella Genius

I think that sounds about right but I know several, and many people with gambling debts. I suppose how much it shocks you relates to your exposure to it.

Unihorn

Tbh I am surprised it's not higher.

I get gambling ads on MN. Just the last week or so. Nice.

It depends on what you define as a problem. It only makes sense if it is people admitting they have a problem themselves because you can't dictate what is or isn't a problem for others.

I'm not surprised by the number. I saw people queuing for fruit machines the other day.

I thought it would be higher

OP, you really need to give a link when opening a thread like this.

I used to know someone with 2 kids who's husband was a gambler.

Last I heard - many years ago - she had to move back to her parents with her them, on the other side of the country.

There is a reason that gambling used to be so restricted in this country, was virtually banned in the US, and is forbidden by Islam. It's a terrible historic problem and ruins families. Look at the adverts giving "free" start ups to new members,and the millions made by relatively new companies online, and how the sun,virgin etc have a stake in it. It is awful that successive governments have given in and exposed the public to this.

with her them

with her kids/ with them.

@Winebottle it is very much a problem, as others are perfetcly entitled to "dictate", if they are spending family money and getting into debt, whether that's by frittering money on the gee gees or chucking a load of money into slot machines in their lunch hour.

Actually now I have googled it, the figures are worse.

"More than 2 million people in the UK are either problem gamblers or at risk of addiction, according to the industry regulator, which warned that the government and industry were not doing enough to tackle the problem."

www.theguardian.com/society/2017/aug/24/problem-gamblers-uk-gambling-commission-report

@PickAChew People can have an opinion on it but it is just an opinion not a fact. There is no point putting numbers on things that cannot be measured objectively.

Whatever number you come up with, it could quite easily be doubled or halved depending on definitions.

Its the same as with alcohol. You've got your raving alcoholics, your teetotalers and a whole spectrum of people in between.

None of it is binary. Its not problem gamblers and responsible gamblers.There are varying degrees of problems. Its not at risk of addiction or not at risk. Everyone is at risk to some extent.

I'm surprised since the invention of the Internet and interactive TV, consols etc that it's not higher, because accessibility has increased. I anticipate that the industry will continue to grow in the future. Some people will become addicted. It's a money making industry.

Add in the mix mobile phones with access to betting apps, real time betting, bingo, lottery. I would like to see the male to female split of the betting. Because I believe males are supposed to be greater risk takers. I would anticipate that more females bet due to new technology than in the past

I would have thought it was higher.

I am actually addicted to online gambling. It started when my disbility hit and I had to be in the house all of the time so spent a lot longer online. Not trying to blame it on that as such, but thats where it did start.

Most people do not know I have a gambling addiction. Bar DH (though even he doesn't know how bad it actually is) and my gambling councillor

I did a placement in an organisation they dealt with addiction and I am unsurprised that the figure is this high. Thought it would be higher tbh