Gambling Understood campaign launches

Significant public health campaign launches in Yorkshire and the Humber to expose the tactics behind gambling harms

A major new campaign to tackle gambling harms across the region has been launched by The Association of Directors of Public Health Yorkshire and Humber.

With one in four gamblers at substantially higher risk of serious harm and worrying numbers of young people being exposed to gambling products, the industry shift toward online play and more targeted advertising has signalled cause for concern for public health leaders.

Through a major new campaign entitled “Gambling Understood”, Public Health Yorkshire and the Humber is exposing the tactics behind gambling harms, to help people better understand them. The campaign, which is based on significant research and evidence on gambling harms, is providing users with clear insight into the risks, while encouraging open conversations on the topic to reduce stigma and empower users of gambling products.

Greg Fell, Director of Public Health in Sheffield, said: “This campaign is a major new step in preventing and tackling gambling harms, which affect far too many people. There can be serious consequences – like depression, anxiety, relationship breakdown, debt and sometimes – sadly – suicide. Gambling and betting products use highly effective sales tactics such as personalised incentives and ‘free spins’ to draw people in, and this is doing very real harm to users and those around them. A third of gamblers said that marketing prompted them to spend money and 18.6% of people said being offered a free bet re-started their gambling.

“We want to ensure every single person who comes into contact with gambling and betting products is very aware of the tactics they use to draw people in, as well as the risks and potential harms that could follow as a result.”

While existing gambling awareness messages focus on staying in control, the Gambling Understood campaign tackles the root of the issue in gambling products and how they are designed and promoted. According to those behind the campaign, existing prevention work does little to acknowledge the real risks and can leave gamblers with a sense of shame when things go wrong, making sharing concerns difficult and risking escalation of harm.

Matt Gaskell, Consultant psychologist and head of the NHS Northern Gambling Service, added: “It’s vital that we acknowledge the continuum of harm in gambling. There has been a major shift towards online play in recent years, which means more targeted advertising drawing gamblers in with incentives and increased personalisation.

“One real concern is the impact of that personalisation on children and young people. Research shows one in eight 11-16-year-olds follow a gambling company on social media, while 55,000 people who gamble at a ‘problem level’ are aged 11-16. The constant and ever-present nature of this targeted advertising reinforces the idea that gambling is a ‘normal’ activity with zero risk, which we know simply isn’t true. The potential here for harm really can’t be overstated.”

On the addictive nature of gambling, Matt Gaskell continues: “Gambling engages the part of our brain that releases dopamine – the chemical messenger that makes us feel good. When we win, our brain gives us an emotional reward, which is of particularly high risk in online gambling, where 14% have experienced a gambling ‘binge’ and 24% of those having done so on online slots.”

The Gambling Understood campaign provides a template letter for users to share with their MP in a mission to create legislative change around gambling. The website also provides helpful conversation starters, with the aim of opening dialogue around the topic of gambling harms and no longer keeping it a hidden issue surrounded by stigma.

For more information on the campaign, including research and resources on gambling harms, visit: https://gamblingunderstood.co.uk/