Study: Gambling Harm Is Linked to the Industry’s Expansion

A new study has uncovered a link between the proliferation of gambling and the increasing gambling harm rates. Based on data from tens of thousands of gamblers, this latest research claims that gambling harm is something that exists beyond the individual level.

Harm Should Be Addressed at a Societal Level

The findings of the groundbreaking study, titled “The total consumption model applied to gambling,” have been promoted by the Campaign for Fairer Gambling (CFG), an independent gambling reform organization that seeks a safer market.

The research analyzed data from some 40,000 gamblers and understood that gambling is not only about individuals’ vulnerabilities but also about the overall volume of gambling taking place in society.

The study, which has been supported and funded by international academic and government organizations confirms the Total Consumption Model of gambling. As a result, it implies that universal prevention strategies are needed in order to bring harm rates down.

To that end, academics argue, governments and regulators should tackle gambling harm at a societal level, addressing patterns and trends, instead of only targeting individual cases.

The US Has Failed, the Study Implies

According to the study, the United States often relies on the concept of responsible gambling. This idea promotes addressing harm among smaller vulnerable groups by taking a variety of safer gambling measures. However, the study argued that there has been little evidence to suggest that this approach has led to a widespread harm reduction.

On the contrary, The total consumption model applied to gambling study argued that the growth of the gambling sector has been inadvertently associated with greater public health risks.

The CFG’s founder and funder, Derek Webb, weighed in on the matter, expressing his thoughts. A prominent gambling reform philanthropist, he said that his team has been warning the UK and Europe about the risks associated with gambling expansion for years. According to him, the US is experiencing a situation that is “even more dire” since the growth of the locally-regulated sector has not offset the offshore gaming activity or mitigated any harm.

Webb was firm that “federal intervention is the only way to address this escalating issue.”

The total consumption model applied to gambling research was made possible by funding from major British authorities and international health and gambling-focused organizations.