‘Responsible Gambling’ A Farce, WHO Says
Gambling is a growing threat to global public health, according to a World Health Organization fact sheet published in December 2024.
The robust fact sheet cited research showing that 12% of men and 6% of women globally suffer directly from gambling harm. Those respective percentages include people who don’t gamble. Thus, among people who gamble, the rate of gambling harm is high.
Gambling harm occurs “well below clinical thresholds,” the organization noted, as there are varying degrees of addiction. An estimated 0.14% of problem gamblers seek treatment such as therapy or counseling.
According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), published by the American Psychiatric Association, gambling disorder is a diagnosable condition. However, people can suffer immensely while not technically meeting the criteria for a clinical diagnosis.
The gambling industry heavily promotes a 2-4% gambling disorder rate (in the U.S., for example) because it conceals real rates of gambling-related harm.
Additionally, every case of problem gambling affects an average of six other people.
Global Gambling Losses Growing
Global gambling losses are approaching $1 trillion a year, per the WHO, with “smartphone use in low- and middle-income countries [driving] much of this growth.”
The rapid expansion of online gambling, mostly notably sports betting, in the United States is also a key driver in the growth of this increasingly global industry.
In the U.S., an estimated 30-40% of online sports bettors experience gambling-related problems, according to the most current sports betting addiction statistics. The rate could be even worse in other countries.
People gambling at harmful levels generate around 60% of global losses, per the WHO.
“Gambling harms also include relationship breakdown, family violence, financial distress, stigma, income-generating crimes (theft, fraud), neglect of children, and erosion of civil institutions via corruption and corporate political activity,” the WHO said. “Gambling is also a common way to launder money obtained through illegal activities.”
The legacy of gambling harm can endure throughout one’s life and transmit intergenerationally.
Responsible Gambling?
Countries with commercialized gambling often rely on so-called responsible gambling messages to pay lip service to harm mitigation. Such messages are terribly ineffective, per the WHO.
“Stigma and shame often prevent people from seeking help,” the WHO wrote. “The preferred regulatory approach of the gambling industry – so-called responsible gambling – adds to this burden by effectively blaming those who experience harm. Responsible gambling interventions are typically ineffective, particularly where the uptake of measures is optional.”
Responsible gambling messaging is a hallmark of industry self-regulation and/or regulatory capture, which poses grave problems for public health. States that commercialize gambling typically receive taxes from the industry, disincentivizing real harm reduction.
“Existing health promotion messages are often inadequate and can use so-called dark nudges, which encourage the consumption of harmful products and may enhance normalization,” the WHO said. “Alongside strong regulation of gambling products and their availability, clear warning messages about harms associated with use are likely to be more effective than messages suggestions to simply stop when gambling is no longer fun, for instance.”
What Can Be Done to Fight Gambling Addiction?
“Population-wide interventions can help prevent and reduce harm,” the WHO said. According to the group, the most cost-effective strategy for minimizing gambling-related harm is prevention, which is working to reduce problem gambling rates.
While treatment is vital, most important is reducing the number of people needing treatment. Recovery from a gambling addiction can be a lifelong process with setbacks.
The WHO advocates for:
Ending gambling advertising, promotion and sponsorship of sports and other cultural activities
Reducing stigma and shame experienced by those harmed by gambling
Universal account registration with binding pre-commitment and effective self-exclusion tools
Product safety measures including universal loss limits, maximum bet sizes and required breaks in gambling sessions
Effective regulation of gambling providers, including well-resourced enforcement activities
Addressing gambling industry corporate political activity and influence on research
Counter-messaging that conveys warnings about harms associated with gambling products
At the federal level in the U.S., legislation called the SAFE Bet Act would seek to create actual guardrails on the online sports betting industry. On the state level, Minnesota, for example, has considered a sports betting “red flag” law.
While prevention is most important, free online therapy for gambling-related harm, such as Ohio’s gambling program, could also be a powerful tool.
Image via Pixabay.