SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
GambleAware has awarded a grant of £350,000 to the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) and the University of Wolverhampton to investigate the impact of stigma and discrimination on people affected by gambling harms.
The study will explore how individuals who suffer from gambling addiction are stigmatised and discriminated against by various groups across society, including healthcare providers, charitable organisations, communities and families, popular media, and the gambling industry.
Additionally, the research will determine which communities are most adversely affected by stigmatisation, and why. The study will include those who suffer from gambling addiction alongside other challenges such as drug use, anxiety or depression, or homelessness.
The research will identify necessary interventions, services, information campaigns, and policies required to challenge stigmatisation and aim to reduce gambling harms for affected communities. The findings are expected to be published in 2024.
Anna Hargrave, GambleAware Chief Commissioning Officer, said that currently, there is limited research into stigma and gambling in Great Britain. She noted that stigmatisation causes significant harm, leading to people feeling ashamed and experiencing mental health challenges and social exclusion.
The study is an essential step towards developing a more comprehensive understanding of the impact of stigmatisation on people affected by gambling harms.
In March, the RET charity published a new report which highlighted concerns that minority groups in Britain are more likely to experience harm from gambling compared to ‘white British majority groups’.
Of consequence, community stigmas related to gambling as an activity continue to be a barrier to treatment support of gambling harms across minority communities
Latest findings show that the risk factors for gambling harm include income levels, social inequalities, and experiences of discrimination, as GambleAware continues to emphasise the need for tailored support for gambling harms to address specific unmet needs and vulnerabilities within minority communities.
The study is part of GambleAware’s two-year plan to focus on stigma reduction. The plan also includes the launch of a major new behaviour change campagn in the spring to reduce the stigma associated with gambling harms.
