Qualitative research on the consequences of gambling

Executive summary

Research aims and methods

This qualitative research aimed to provide a deeper understanding of the varied experiences of adverse consequences from gambling, through follow-up interviews with participants who took part in the Gambling Survey for Great Britain (GSGB). The research sought to better understand:

1. What journeys lead people to experience adverse and/or severe gambling consequences.

2. What external factors influence and/or contribute to adverse and/or severe gambling consequences.

3. How are different adverse and/or severe gambling consequences connected in people’s lived experience.

4. What measures and practices have prevented adverse and/or severe consequences from occurring.

This report presents findings from 25 in-depth qualitative interviews with participants who took part in the GSGB and had indicated experiencing severe and/or potentially adverse consequences from their own gambling in the past 12 months. Interviews were conducted over the telephone or MS Teams, transcribed and analysed to identify themes.

Context: Overview of the impacts of gambling on participants in this research

Participants discussed both positive and negative impacts of their own gambling. Participants described positive consequences either at the beginning of their journey with gambling, or throughout their whole journey with gambling, with positive and negative impacts occurring in parallel. These positive impacts included winning money, opportunities to socialise and spend time with friends and family through gambling and experiencing excitement or pride when winning. As outlined in Chapter 3, participants mainly focused on the negative consequences of gambling, but it should be noted that all participants had been selected due to their reported experience of negative consequences.

Participants frequently described negative financial consequences related to their own gambling. These financial impacts varied from reducing spending on non-essentials (for example, new clothes) and everyday items (for example, groceries) to job loss or becoming unhoused. The impact of financial consequences was felt to be minimal for some participants, but for others these lead to feelings of frustration and guilt and inability to pay off loans and bills. Additionally, participants described negative consequences that involved their relationships (spending less time with family members, strain to relationships, and direct conflict) and health (stress, anxiety, depression, and poor sleep and nutrition).

Findings

Participants’ journeys with adverse or severe consequences from gambling

Participants’ journeys with adverse consequences from gambling varied, along with their wider life experiences. For some, their first contact with gambling was during childhood or adolescence, often starting with observing parents or other family members who gambled (and in some cases witnessing them experience adverse consequences), but also directly participating in gambling activities themselves. Financial impacts were often the first negative consequence that participants described experiencing. In other cases, participants reported relationship issues as their initial adverse experience from gambling.

The journeys described by participants were not linear and varied in pattern, with some participants experiencing progressive worsening of gambling consequences, in several cases followed by improvements, whilst others experienced very little change with consequences over time. Changes in participants’ journeys were often described as being caused or compounded by external factors, which could lead to varied outcomes. For example, employment and increased income could prompt an increase in gambling activity because of the availability of disposable income, but it could also prompt participants to reduce gambling because their main motivation to gamble was to increase their earnings. Similarly, unemployment and low income were for some a factor in their decision to gamble more (to earn money and supplement their income) or less (because of a reduced disposable income).

Other factors that participants described as having an impact on their gambling included having friends who also gamble, having children, experiencing stress, anxiety or depression, financial challenges, migrating or moving to new areas, and the advertising and marketing of gambling products.

Interrelation of different adverse or severe consequences from gambling

Participants described a variety of ways that different consequences, such as financial, relationship and health and wellbeing consequences are interrelated. For some, one consequence led to another, while for others, the consequences fed into each other in an ongoing cycle. In some cases, participants faced multiple problems at once with no clear sequence. Losing money was often a starting point for experiencing further adverse consequences such as stress, depression and strained relationships.

Preventing or reducing consequences from gambling

Participants’ awareness of gambling support tools and services varied from no awareness to awareness of multiple tools and services. Participants’ awareness of these tools was either gained passively through being informed by others or actively seeking out information or support themselves.

Participants who had accessed support described using a variety of forms such as self-help tools offered by gambling operators, personal techniques (such as budgeting) and support from friends and family. These approaches were generally adopted after experiencing negative financial, relationship and mental health consequences from their gambling.

Conclusion and recommendations

This research sought to explore experiences with adverse consequences in greater depth and identified the following:

• journeys with gambling consequences are complex and influenced by a range of external factors including factors related to individuals, wide social and political factors, and factors related to the gambling industry
• first experiences with gambling are often (but not always) positive, with adverse consequences often developing over time and some participants experiencing them more quickly than others. The research identified variation in participant’s first experiences with adverse consequences. Often financial consequences were experienced first which led to subsequent impacts on mental health or relationships
• there are complex interactions between different adverse consequences as well as external factors. Participants described a range of ways that harms interrelated, including one consequence leading to another, consequences taking place simultaneously, and circular or reinforcing relationships between gambling consequences.

This research has added to the evidence base for several of the Gambling Commission’s Evidence gaps and priorities for 2023 to 2026. Chapter 7 outlines in more detail recommendations for reducing gambling consequences and areas of further exploration.

1 - Introduction

1.1. Background to the research

Last year, the Gambling Commission published findings from its first annual Gambling Survey for Great Britain (GSGB). This survey collected data from a representative random probability sample of more than 9,700 adults in Great Britain, providing insight into gambling behaviours and their potential negative consequences on health, resources and relationships. Participants included people who have, and have not, engaged in gambling. They were asked questions about their views and experiences of playing different games, lotteries and betting, and the effects of these activities on their lives.

Part of the development of the GSGB involved a move towards a more holistic view of gambling and gambling consequences. This included going beyond solely relying on measures based on clinical notions of ‘problem gambling’, such as the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI). New questions regarding gambling consequences developed as part of the GSGB include consequences for people who gamble as well as those affected by someone else’s gambling. Impacts covered by these new questions relate to finances, relationships, work and study, or crime. They could be severe in nature (for example, experience of violence or abuse) or potentially adverse (for example, experience of conflict with family or friends).

The GSGB found that 2.8 percent of people who had gambled in the past year experienced at least one severe consequence from their gambling (for example, committing a crime to fund gambling or pay gambling debts). Between 4.0 percent and 6.8 percent of participants experienced, at least occasionally, other potentially adverse consequences from their own gambling (for example, lying to family, or others, to hide the extent of their gambling).

1.2. Research aims

The National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) were commissioned to conduct qualitative research with a subset of participants who completed the GSGB and indicated that they had experienced severe and/or potentially adverse consequences from their own gambling in the previous 12 months¹. This research aimed to explore the experiences and journeys of these individuals and provide deeper insights into varied experiences of adverse consequences from gambling, including the interrelations between different consequences (either positive or negative). This research builds on the existing survey data and addresses gaps in the GSGB evidence base, as well as some of the broader evidence gaps that the Gambling Commission identified as part of their Evidence gaps and priorities 2023 to 2026. These include early gambling experiences and gateway products, the range and variability of gambling experiences, gambling-related harms and vulnerability, and the impact of operator practices.

The research questions were:

1. What journeys lead people to experience adverse and/or severe gambling consequences?
2. What external factors influence and/or contribute to adverse and/or severe gambling consequences?
3. How are different adverse and/or severe gambling consequences connected in people’s lived experience?
4. What measures and practices have prevented adverse and/or severe consequences from occurring?

1.3. Report structure

This report is divided into the following sections:

• Chapter 2 outlines the research methodology
• Chapter 3 provides context for the report by summarising the impacts of gambling on participants
• Chapter 4 discusses participants’ journeys with adverse or severe consequences from gambling
• Chapter 5 considers the interrelation of different adverse or severe consequences from gambling
• Chapter 6 explores the measures and practices participants have used to prevent or reduce adverse consequences
• Chapter 7 summarises key findings from the research and provides recommendations on areas for future consideration.

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¹ One of the Gambling Commission’s priorities remains to also understand people’s experience of adverse consequences as a result of someone else’s gambling; however, the present study’s purpose was to only look at people’s experiences of adverse consequences from their own gambling.

2 - Methodology

2.1. Sampling and recruitment

In-depth interviews were conducted with 25 people who completed the Gambling Survey for Great Britain (GSGB). Participants were selected based on their survey responses to questions about their gambling participation and their experience of severe and potentially adverse consequences of gambling in the past year – this was our ‘primary sampling criteria'. Selected participants had gambled in the last 12 months and experienced:

• at least 1 severe consequence from their own gambling (responding ‘yes’ to one or more of the 4 items)
• at least 2 potential adverse consequences from their own gambling (responding ‘very often’ or ‘fairly often’ to 2 or more of the 6 items) or
• had responded ‘occasionally’ to at least 3 of the potential adverse consequences from their own gambling, and who had a PGSI score of more than 3.

The initial sampling strategy aimed to recruit participants exclusively from Year 1 of the GSGB (fieldwork between July 2023 and February 2024). Following an accurate assessment of the sample, fewer cases than expected (169 in total) in Year 1 of the survey met the criteria for recruitment. Therefore, we opened the sampling up to include cases from the first wave of Year 2 data collection (69 in total; fieldwork between January 2024 and April 2024). However, the 2 samples are largely similar and completed the survey at similar times. In total, 17 interviews were conducted with participants from Year 1 of the survey, and 8 participants from Year 2, allowing data saturation to be reached.

Survey participants who met the sampling criteria and had agreed to be re-contacted were sent an email inviting them to take part in an interview. If participants expressed interest, a short screening call was arranged to provide further information about the research, answer any questions and find a suitable time for an interview.

To ensure that this research involved people with diverse experiences, we also monitored secondary sampling criteria, namely demographic factors (age, gender, and ethnicity), Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI) scores, types of gambling activities participated in, and the types of consequences experienced. The following table (Table 1) shows the demographic characteristics of participants included in the research.

Table 1: Sample of participants

Sample of participants

Attribute	Number of participants
Age
18 to 34	6
35 to 54	17
55 or over	2
Gender
Male	17
Female	8
Ethnicity
White British and/or White Other	16
Black British and/or Black Other	2
Asian British and/or Asian Other	6
Other (including Mixed and/or Multiple)	1

2.2. Data collection

Interviews were conducted in January, February and March 2025, lasted up to 60 minutes, and took place over the phone or online (MS Teams).

A topic guide was developed in collaboration with the Gambling Commission and their Lived Experience Advisory Panel (LEAP) (see Annex A). A topic guide is a tool used for interviews which sets out key discussion topics. This ensures a consistent approach across interviews while allowing the discussion to remain participant-led. The topic guide covered areas of interest for this research (for example, first experiences and journeys with gambling consequences, and relationships between gambling consequences).

During the interviews, researchers created a timeline as a visual tool to support the understanding of the participants’ journeys with gambling and, when possible, they were shared on screen with the participant to help elicit their memories and reflections. The timelines portrayed a chronological account of gambling consequences, relationships between gambling consequences, and external factors that may have affected gambling consequences.

2.3. Lived experience involvement

The Commission’s LEAP informed the development of materials and methods used for this research. The panel reviewed and provided feedback on the interview topic guide, the participant information sheet, and the aftercare leaflet. They also supported in piloting the timeline approach which was taken to explore participants’ journeys with gambling. There were 3 members of the panel who took part in pilot interviews with the research team and created timelines of their gambling journeys and subsequently fed back on their experience which allowed the research team to refine the approach.

2.4. Ethics

This study was approved by NatCen’s Research Ethics Committee. The topics of gambling and gambling harm are potentially sensitive, so NatCen sought to reduce any risk of psychological harm for those taking part. All participants received an information sheet which set out the purpose of the research and explained what would happen to participant data. Participants were reminded of their right to withdraw before and during the interview. Participants were also signposted to a list of organisations that they could contact if the subject matter of the research prompted any upset or distress.

2.5. Analysis approach

With participants’ permission, all interviews were recorded and transcribed to support analysis. Data was analysed and managed using the ‘framework’ approach². In this approach, relevant information from each interview is written up into a framework, where each row represents one interview, and each column represents a research question or sub-question. This enabled the research team to assess the evidence relevant to each question. Analysis explored the full range of experiences and views, interrogating data to identify similarities and differences between participants and sought to explain patterns and themes.

This report does not provide numerical findings, since sampling for this qualitative research was purposive and not representative; therefore, it cannot support numerical analysis. Instead, the qualitative findings provide in-depth insights into the range of views and experiences of participants and verbatim quotes and timelines are used to illustrate these. These qualitative findings can support contextualising quantitative findings from the GSGB.

2.6. Strengths and limitations of the research

Working with the Commission’s LEAP allowed the research team to refine the research approach and tools, including identifying more sensitive elements of data collection, and helping to establish ways to reduce the risk of psychological harm from taking part. Piloting the timeline approach with members of the panel led to methodological developments regarding mirroring participant language, reducing the length of time that the timeline was shared on screen during the interview, and checking with the participant whether they were happy with how their experience was described. We recommend that future research on similar topics also seek guidance from those with lived experience.

Due to recruitment and time constraints, it was not possible to systematically adjust the recruitment strategy to reach a fully diverse sample. Therefore, our achieved sample had a higher proportion of men (17 participants) compared to women (8 participants) and a higher proportion of those who were aged 35 to 54 years compared to other age groups, particularly those aged over 55. Research shows that gambling harms vary between different age groups³ and the experiences of some groups (such as older adults) may therefore have been less well represented in this research.

Some participants preferred to have an interview over the phone rather than on MS Teams. For these participants, we were unable to share the timeline that was created during the interview on screen. This meant that some participants were unable to suggest adjustments to the timeline in real time, as they did not know what it looked like, which may have reduced the detail that was captured.

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² Nicola, K. G., Heath G, Cameron E, Rashid S, and Redwood S (2013). Using the framework method for the analysis of qualitative data in multi-disciplinary health research. BMC Medical Research Methodology, 13, 117.

³Pattinson J, and Parke A (2016). Gambling behaviour and motivation in British older adult populations: A grounded theoretical framework. Journal of Gambling Issues, 34, 55-76.

3 - Overview of impacts of gambling on participants

Participants discussed the impacts of their gambling participation, and whether they perceived those impacts to be either positive or negative. This chapter summarises the range of impacts described by participants and sets the scene for a more in-depth discussion on participants’ journeys with adverse consequences from their gambling and the interrelation of different adverse consequences, which are respectively explored in Chapters 4 and 5. When reviewing these impacts, it should be noted that this research mainly focuses on negative consequences and participants were chosen due to their reported experience of negative consequences. All participants had indicated in the Gambling Survey for Great Britain (GSGB) that they had experienced potentially adverse or severe consequences ‘occasionally’, ‘fairly often’ or ‘very often’. Therefore, this group may be more likely to highlight the negative impacts of gambling than people who had not indicated these consequences. However, participants also reported positive impacts linked to their gambling experience, which had occurred at varying points and mixed with negative consequences. In some cases, negative and positive impacts followed each other or occurred at different times and in other cases these impacts occurred simultaneously. This chapter begins by outlining findings about the positive consequences of gambling.

3.1. Positive impacts related to gambling participation

Impacts on resources

Participants who had won money from gambling discussed this as a positive financial consequence. One participant who also experienced negative financial impacts felt that gambling had a positive impact on their work performance (and subsequently their income) because it made them more motivated to earn money to offset financial losses from gambling.

Relationship impacts

Participants also described positive impacts that gambling had on their relationships. Participants discussed how gambling can be an enjoyable bonding experience that provides additional opportunities to socialise with friends or spend time with family members. One participant was able to make new friends by attending social gatherings centred on gambling. Participants also reported sharing their gambling wins with family or using them to pay for gifts or shared activities (for example, meals), which further consolidated their relationships.

Health and wellbeing impacts

Participants also highlighted positive impacts gambling had on their wellbeing. Most participants described experiencing positive emotions (for example, happiness, excitement, pride) following a win. Participants also highlighted finding enjoyment in the act of gambling itself. For example, participants betting on sports described how it can make watching sporting fixtures more enjoyable. Participants who gambled with friends or family highlighted that it can be a fun social experience which contributed to their wellbeing.

3.2. Negative impacts related to gambling participation

Impacts on resources

Negative financial consequences were a common experience among participants, who described a range of financial impacts related to their own gambling. As captured in their survey responses, participants reported reducing their spending on everyday items such as groceries. Participants also reduced spending on items which were not essential but would have been enjoyable, such as social outings with friends, new clothing items, or holidays. This had varied impacts on participants. Some participants felt these financial consequences had minimal impacts on their lives. However, for others this led to reduced opportunities for socialising, frustration at missing out on those opportunities and feelings of guilt (for example, guilt about having less money for family activities). Some participants had used money from their savings to gamble and in other cases, participants described taking on extra shifts, borrowing money from friends and family, or taking out credit cards to pay for the everyday expenses they could not afford due to gambling losses.

Amongst the more severe financial impacts, participants highlighted the inability to pay off loans and bills. One participant could not afford to pay utility bills due to spending money on gambling, which caused their family to have no heating and electricity on multiple occasions. Another participant lost their home after falling behind on their mortgage payments, leaving them unhoused for several months. Participants also reported negative impacts related to work and school performance, including being distracted from their work or study, being unable to meet deadlines, or missing work to take part in gambling. This caused one participant to lose their job and another to fail some of their university classes.

Relationship impacts

Participants reported that their gambling had negatively impacted the quality of their social connections and relationships. In some cases, this was because participants had not been truthful with others about the extent of their gambling out of embarrassment or to avoid conflict. Other participants identified that gambling activities led them to reduce the amount of time they spent with family or friends. Some participants also described situations of direct conflict, including arguments with friends and family who were worried about their gambling or upset about financial consequences related to gambling. In some instances, this contributed to the breakdown of relationships.

Health and wellbeing impacts

Participants also highlighted a variety of negative impacts related to their health and wellbeing. This included stress (due to monetary losses from gambling and subsequently needing to borrow money) and guilt (over the time spent gambling and the repercussions on their family and friends). Some participants also reported experiencing depression and anxiety related to gambling. In some cases, these impacts were significant, with one participant highlighting a suicide attempt related to their gambling. Participants described the heavy mental burden caused by constant worry about financial losses from gambling. In some instances, participants explained how this mental burden also affected their physical health, causing them to forego sleep, healthy eating, or exercise.

4 - Participants’ journeys with adverse or severe consequences from gambling

Introduction to participants’ journeys with adverse or severe consequences from gambling

Participants were asked about their first experiences with gambling and the range of consequences, either positive or negative, they experienced. The interviews explored how adverse consequences changed over time and which factors had contributed to their worsening or improvement. Where possible, the interviews were supported by the use of timelines to map how participants’ journeys with gambling and adverse consequences related to wider life events and external factors. This chapter explores participants’ initial experiences with gambling and gambling consequences, before exploring changes through time and the role of external factors.

4.1 - Initial experiences with gambling

Participants who took part in interviews were of varying ages and life experiences and had varied experiences with gambling. Some participants had first taken part in gambling in recent years and others had experiences spanning decades. For some, their first contact with gambling was during childhood or adolescence, often starting with observing parents or other family members who gambled (and in some cases witnessing them experience adverse consequences), but also directly participating in gambling activities. This included playing cards with family and friends for money (albeit often only wagering small amounts), betting on sports and horse or dog races, or using fruit machines in arcades and other shops. Case Study 1 demonstrates the journey of one participant who had early experiences with gambling consequences due to a family member experiencing harm. This participant had positive experiences of gambling in their 20s, before first experiencing adverse impacts during the COVID-19 pandemic. Other participants reported starting gambling later in their life (at varying points from their 20s to their 40s), in some cases linked to a desire to earn more money (for example, with increased costs related to having children) or due to the influence of friends made later in life.

Timeline for case study 1: Steven, male participant aged 35 to 44

Timeline for case study 1.

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Participants described taking part in a range of different gambling activities at different points in their gambling journey. Some participants initially took part in gambling in person but then moved to online gambling, others had always gambled online, while a further group of participants opted for a mix of online and in person gambling. Similarly, participants had varied initial experiences with adverse consequences, influenced by patterns of gambling participation as well as wider life events and circumstances. The following sections detail this variety of initial adverse consequences experienced by participants.

Negative financial consequences as initial adverse experiences from gambling

A common first experience of negative consequences described by participants involved issues linked to finances. This was tied to spending more on gambling than was affordable for a certain period (ranging from months to several years). These negative consequences varied in terms of severity, from having less money for leisure activities and other personal expenses, to being unable to pay for utility bills or rent, to missing mortgage payments and becoming unhoused.

These financial consequences occurred at different points in participants’ journeys with gambling. Some participants started gambling as a fun, sometimes social, activity and did not experience any negative financial consequence for several years until one or more external factors intervened (more details on external factors are described in Section 4.3). These external factors (such as becoming unemployed or separating from their spouse) either increased the frequency of gambling and/or the amount spent or reduced their disposable income, leading to adverse consequences. Other participants reported spending more than they could afford on gambling early in their journey, and in these cases participants highlighted external factors as a catalyst for their challenges with gambling (for example, going through a difficult period of their life and using gambling as a coping mechanism or using gambling to make up for the loss of income during the COVID-19 pandemic).

Negative relationship impacts as initial adverse experiences from gambling

A group of participants reported relationship issues as their initial adverse experience from gambling. In some cases, this was tied to conflict about money spent on gambling, particularly in relationships with shared financial responsibilities (such as rent, bills, mortgages and/or the costs of raising children). Participants reported being judged negatively for their spending, even if they had gambled within their means, because of the perception that money could have been spent elsewhere. This could lead to conflict within relationships. In other cases, this linked to stigma related to gambling participation. For example, a participant described how they felt stigmatised by their daughter when she became aware of their gambling. This participant did not report any financial issues directly related to gambling but felt judged by their own daughter who had a negative opinion of gambling and often remarked that the money spent in gambling could have been used for other purposes.

4.2 - Changes to gambling consequences through time

Participants described a variety of journeys with gambling consequences, often spanning many years or decades. These journeys are not linear and range from a progressive worsening of gambling consequences to journeys where a worsening was followed by improvements and to journeys where participants’ experiences with consequences changed very little over time. The types of changes described in this section were mainly caused or compounded by external factors which will be described further in the external factors section.

Rapid changes to experiences of gambling consequences

Some participants explained that after starting gambling the frequency of their activity and/or the amount spent increased in a relatively short period of time (within the time span of a few months to 2 years). In some cases, this increase in gambling meant a diversification of activities: for example, starting with scratchcards and lottery tickets and then adding (in person or online) casinos, or betting on sports or dog or horse races. Participants associated these changes with different external factors, such as using gambling as a coping mechanism following periods of stress or mental health problems, trying to supplement their income after losing their job or as a consequence of the cost-of-living crisis, or moving to online gambling.

After rapid increases in gambling activity, participants reported experiencing negative financial consequences often alongside relationship issues and negative consequences to their mental and physical health (such as stress, anxiety, depression, poor sleep, and poor nutrition). Participants explained that seeing their situation rapidly worsen or, in some cases, cause arguments with friends or family, convinced them to stop or reduce their gambling.

Limited changes to experiences of gambling consequences over time

Another group of participants reported that their gambling activities had changed little over time. These participants took part in a wide variety of gambling activities, including betting on sports or purchasing lottery tickets and scratchcards. This group of participants were generally gambling within their means and reported negative consequences more rarely. Similar to those experiencing more rapid changes, a variety of external factors also were identified by this group of participants as having had an impact on how they gambled and the consequences they experienced. These factors included gambling only as a social activity, or taking part to ‘ fill the time’ when working from home.

Returning to gambling after previous experiences of adverse consequences

Some participants explained that their experience with gambling was characterised by a period of a few years in which they had stopped gambling followed by a return to gambling in more recent years. Some of these participants described the time before stopping as a period of more frequent gambling and higher spending and experiences of adverse consequences. This group had often stopped gambling due to significant negative impacts they had experienced (such as relationship challenges), or a more general desire to change their life which was associated with changing jobs, starting a new relationship or stopping using alcohol or drugs (as is shown by the participant’s journey in Case Study 2). For this group, starting gambling again was usually characterised by lower spending and frequency, with lower negative consequences, and by the use of strategies or tools (for example, budgeting or self-exclusion tools) to reduce the risk of experiencing significant negative consequences again.

Case study 2: Jack, male participant aged 35 to 44

Timeline for case study 2.

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4.3 - External factors

During interviews, participants were invited to reflect on the external factors that had impacted their experiences with gambling participation and subsequent adverse consequences from gambling. Participants reported a range of external factors that in some cases worsened adverse consequences and in other cases mitigated or prevented them. These factors were wide ranging, and unique to each participant’s life circumstances and events, as well as broader social and economic factors. In some cases, the same external factors had a different impact on different participants, either worsening or mitigating adverse consequences. Case Study 3 shows a range of external factors (including factors related to employment, family, relationships and health) which impacted one participant’s journey.

Case study 3: Ali, male participant aged 45 to 54

Timeline for case study 3.

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The following section sets out the key external factors that we have identified and discusses the ways these have impacted experiences with gambling consequences, both positively and negatively.

Employment and income

Participants described numerous ways that employment and income interrelated with their experiences of gambling consequences. Participants reported that an increase in disposable income (for example, due to career progression or becoming employed) was both a reason to take part in (or increase) gambling because of increased resources, and also a reason to gamble less (because gambling was previously used to try to supplement their low income). Similarly, a reduction in disposable income (for example, due to unemployment, retirement or divorce) or a low-paid job was also reported as an influencing factor; some reported a reduction in gambling following the reduction in income due to decreased resources, while others indicated increasing gambling participation to try to increase their income.

Childhood experiences with gambling

Participants described several ways their experiences of gambling consequences were tied to childhood experiences. In some cases, they described direct exposure to gambling as a child (such as playing card games or slot machines in arcades and other shops), stimulating interest in it for years to come. Others explained how seeing other people gambling, usually parents, had an impact on them. In some cases, this made participants more cautious about gambling and its potential consequences because of having directly observed negative consequences during childhood. Other participants instead described these experiences at a young age as having facilitated their current gambling and its negative consequences because they keep chasing the thrill and excitement they felt when observing the adults around them gamble as a child.

Relationships and social life

Participants highlighted the importance of their social relationships in shaping both their gambling participation and negative experiences. Some participants explained that at some points in their lives they had a safety net (mainly composed of family members and partners) who they could rely on if they had spent too much on gambling. Having the chance to easily borrow money or ask others to cover their bills allowed them to continue gamble more than they could afford and prevented more significant financial consequences. Similarly, having friends who also gamble was identified by participants as a key factor that increased the desire to participate in gambling activities (such as playing bingo, going to casinos, playing poker and other card games, or going to dog and horse races). However, this also decreased participants’ ability to avoid gambling. In some cases, this led participants who were trying to reduce their gambling, to also reduce the time they spent with friends or family, or stop seeing them altogether.

However, social isolation was also reported as a factor that could lead to gambling more frequently (usually online), and to the worsening of negative financial consequences. For example, one participant recounted how having to work far from home and spending several nights a week in hotels increased their gambling activities both in terms of time and money spent which led to instances of large financial losses and the inability to build up savings and spend money on other activities (such as holidays).

Changes to family life

Some participants reported how changes to family life also had an impact on their gambling participation and experiences of negative consequences. For some, having children was a reason to cut spending on gambling due to having new responsibilities and priorities. In addition to this, some participants with children felt that their caring responsibilities left them with less time to spend on gambling. Conversely, a participant described how after their children left home, they started gambling more and spending more money (due to more free time and an increased disposable income due to less money spent on their children) which was the start of them experiencing negative consequences.

Health and wellbeing

Participants described mental health problems (such as anxiety, depression or stress) as both a relevant external factor and a negative consequence of gambling, sometimes occurring in a circular reinforcing relationship. Participants experiencing mental health problems explained that gambling was for them a way to cope with depression or stress or to escape from an unsatisfying everyday life or from negative life events (such as a bereavement).

However, often the stress and sense of guilt that followed losing money from gambling negatively impacted their mental health further. Participants also highlighted wider factors such as autism (using gambling to ‘self-regulate’ when stressed or depressed), and the use of alcohol and drugs interrelating with their experiences of gambling consequences. Some participants explained that for them, drinking alcohol was associated with more impulsive choices and to the tendency to gambling more, leading them to take more risky decisions when gambling and leading to negative consequences such as larger financial losses.

Wider socio-economic factors

As well as factors related to participants’ personal lives, broader socio-political factors and events influenced how, when, and why participants had experienced certain adverse consequences from gambling. Some participants explained how COVID-19 and increased costs of living had an impact on their experience with gambling by reducing their disposable income which they subsequently tried to supplement with gambling, leading to further negative financial impacts.

Migration and moving to new areas

Other participants described how their experience of migration had impacted gambling participation. In one case, a participant explained that after migrating to the UK they struggled with money and thought that gambling could be a way to increase their income. However, this led to financial difficulties which were exacerbated by the absence of a support network of family members and friends. Conversely, another participant reported that their experience with migration had a positive impact on their gambling because moving to the UK allowed them to stop seeing friends with whom they used to gamble which in turn helped the participant stop gambling. Participants who were born in the UK and relocated to areas where events like horse races are an important part of the local life also reported changes to their gambling participation (betting on races as part of local events) and increased expenditure.

Factors related to the gambling market

Participants also discussed factors related to the gambling market which influenced their experiences with gambling consequences. Some participants, particularly those who had taken part in gambling for multiple decades, found that the introduction of online gambling had made it easier to gamble and to spend money. These participants felt that online gambling was more convenient and allowed them to gamble at any time, and anywhere. In comparison, participants described how gambling in-person was limited by opening times, having to go to a specific place, and the greater time required to place a bet or buy a ticket or scratchcard.

Participants also highlighted that advertising and marketing, especially the widespread availability of adverts related to gambling, had an impact on gambling participation, especially on those trying to reduce their gambling. Some participants described how when they were teenagers and saw advertising and newspapers articles about the National Lottery which made them feel like everyone was taking part in gambling. Other participants reported feeling like the advertising of gambling products was difficult to avoid, leading them to gamble more frequently. One participant described how being targeted with specific marketing techniques (such as ‘free spins’, a promotional offer where a certain number of attempts are free) resulted in them spending more despite their desire to save money.

There was also variation in experiences based on participants’ ages. One participant remarked that with the current age limitations they would have never been able to start gambling at a very young age, as they did in the 1970s. Another participant explained that the recent introduction of limits on the number of scratchcards⁴ that can be purchased in the same transaction is reducing their drive to gamble.

The interrelation of multiple external factors

Interviews showed that these external factors do not act in isolation but are often linked to one or more other factors (for example, the COVID-19 pandemic leading to changes in employment and income and also changes in patterns of socialisation). In many cases, external factors cannot be considered in isolation given their close interconnection. For example, a participant discussed how an increase in their gambling activity with bigger financial losses than usual was linked to them being made redundant. The participant received a large sum of money for their redundancy but also increased their consumption of alcohol as a way to cope with the stress of losing their job. The combination of having a larger than usual sum of money available and of alcohol consumption led to bigger losses than usual.

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⁴ The limit was introduced on 1 October 2024: https://www.national-lottery.co.uk/games/gamestore/scratchcards

5 - Interrelation of different adverse or severe consequences from gambling

As set out in Chapters 3 and 4, interviews showed how participants had experienced a wide range of adverse consequences from gambling (of differing severities), shaped by their individual life situations and events. For some, one consequence from gambling clearly led to another, while for others, the consequences fed into each other in an ongoing cycle. In some cases, participants faced multiple problems at once with no clear sequence.

While participants mentioned some positive impacts from gambling, including financial and social benefits, this chapter focuses on how various adverse consequences from gambling connect in their experience. It provides examples to demonstrate how these harms occurred in different contexts, and highlights how different types of consequences, such as financial, relationship, and health and wellbeing harms, are connected. Participants emphasised that losing money was often the starting point for these negative consequences. They described how losing money through gambling led to stress, self-doubt, and depression, which often resulted in strained family relationships and, in some cases, negative effects on work.

One consequence leading to other consequence(s)

Some participants felt that one negative consequence from their gambling clearly caused another. For example, they discussed how adverse financial consequences caused both health and relationship harms. For instance, participants shared how losing large amounts of money while gambling caused significant stress, self-doubt, and depression. These health harms often consequently resulted in arguments with partners and strained family relationships. In many cases this linked to dishonesty about gambling expenses or spending less time and money on activities with family. This often caused family members to question their gambling habits and priorities. For some participants this felt like a clear chain of events. When reflecting on the negative consequences of their gambling, they pointed out that losing significant amounts of money was often the starting point for other adverse or severe consequences.

In other instances, participants described how negative consequences related to finances affected their work. For example, spending a large portion of their salary on gambling and needing to borrow money led them to prioritise gambling over work, hoping to win back the money they had lost. In some cases, this resulted in participants losing their jobs. For some participants, the effects of their gambling worsened over time, eventually impacting nearly every area of their life, including finances, relationships, mental health, and work. This was usually caused by the initial financial losses from their gambling, which were often seen as the trigger for these negative consequences. These harms often worsened as participants increased the frequency of their gambling.

However, there were some cases where a series of events caused by an individual's gambling led to harm that was not related to losing money. For example, some participants described gambling as ‘wasting time’ and did not lead to anything productive. Others mentioned how social activities often focused on gambling, which reduced the quality of their interactions with friends and family.

The impact of these adverse consequences which led to other negative outcomes varied. Some participants reported facing severe daily consequences from their gambling, which affected many areas of their lives. These included relationship breakdowns, serious mental health consequences, loss of employment contracts, and significant financial losses and debts. Other participants also experienced one negative consequence leading to another or multiple other consequences, but not every day or to the same degree. The impact often depended on whether participants lost money and was influenced by different levels of stress and changing emotions.

Circular relationship of negative consequences

While some participants felt that one adverse consequence related to their own gambling clearly led to another, in other cases they described the negative impacts of their gambling as a cycle. For example, some participants experienced losing significant amounts of money which worsened their mental health. This led them to gamble more in attempt to cope with negative feelings and depression or act as a ‘form of escape’. This pattern illustrates the cyclical relationship between different adverse consequences of gambling. Interviews highlighted that financial losses from gambling often triggered other negative consequences, however in other instances participants could not always pinpoint the exact consequences that started this cycle.

Negative consequences taking place simultaneously

Whilst some participants described the negative consequences of their gambling as a repetitive cycle, others described the impacts from gambling as not following a sequence or a cycle but rather happening all at once. For some participants it was difficult to separate the different negative consequences of gambling. They faced multiple adverse and severe consequences at once, which had a significant harmful impact on their lives. For instance, participants described facing financial losses, negative impacts on relationships and mental health harms simultaneously due to gambling.

6 - Preventing and reducing consequences

Participants were asked about measures and practices they had used to prevent or reduce adverse consequences related to gambling. These measures and practices were used at different times during participants’ journeys, and generally adopted after (rather than before) participants experienced some form of adverse consequence. As described in Chapter 4, at the time of the interview, some participants had stopped or reduced gambling, or had returned to gambling after a relatively long pause but with a more moderate intensity of participation. In some cases, stopping or reducing gambling had involved external support (from tools, support services or informal support), and in other cases participants had used their own techniques. These approaches followed no clear pattern (for example, following a specific type of consequence or happening at a specific point in participants’ journeys) and were instead intertwined with participants’ unique (and complex) experiences with gambling. As set out in Section 6.2, some participants reported having used formal support tools and services, while others described being supported informally by friends and family or using personal measures to reduce gambling. This chapter opens with a description of participants’ awareness of support tools and services, then moves to the participants’ experiences of measures and practices to prevent and reduce consequences and closes with a short section on barriers to accessing support to provide some further context.

6.1. Awareness of support tools and services

Participants had a mixed level of awareness of gambling support tools and services. This ranged from no awareness at all to awareness of multiple support tools (such as self-exclusion tools or deposit limits) and services (for example helplines or charities providing support)), and how to access them. Participants who were aware of support gained this knowledge either passively by being informed by others, or actively by seeking out support themselves.

Passive awareness

Participants reported being made aware of support tools and services either by word of mouth, from family or friends who had experienced adverse consequences themselves, or by gambling operators while taking part in gambling activities. When signing up to gambling apps or websites, participants were signposted to various support services and tools. They also reported receiving emails from gambling operators that expressed concern for time or money spent gambling and signposted to available services and tools. Other participants received adverts for support services on gambling apps and websites, or saw helplines printed on the back of scratch cards.

Active Awareness

Other participants gained knowledge of support tools and services through seeking out information themselves. In general, this was when they were experiencing adverse consequences and felt they may need support. Mostly, participants, including those who were not aware of specific support services, felt confident in their ability to find information about support tools and services online.

6.2. Experiences of measures and practices to prevent and reduce consequences

Participants had varied experiences of accessing support, ranging from accessing multiple forms of support (both since completing the survey and previously), to not accessing any. Participants who had accessed support through gambling operator websites described largely positive experiences using self-help tools. Describing how those tools helped them mitigate or avoid adverse consequences from gambling.

Self-help tools and services offered by gambling operators that were used by participants included setting deposit and time limits and using self-exclusion tools on gambling apps and websites. These were found to be straightforward and easy to use, with multiple methods to enable them, such as changing account settings, using a live chat function, or through services like GamBlock. Participants who used these tools typically experienced negative financial, relationship and mental health consequences from their gambling. These tools could reduce the amount of money and time they spent gambling, reducing financial consequences and allowing for more quality time spent with friends and family, and consequently improving their relationships and wellbeing. Case Study 4 shows a participant who used deposit limits and self-exclusion tools through gambling websites after experiencing negative financial and wellbeing impacts related to gambling. These tools supported them to reduce their frequency of gambling and subsequently reduce adverse consequences.

Timeline for Case Study 4: Martha, female participant aged 25-34

Timeline for case study 4.

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Participants also discussed using personal techniques to mitigate adverse consequences from gambling. These included placing gambling-spending restrictions on bank accounts, cancelling credit cards and overdrafts, budgeting and tracking spending on gambling, using an old phone that cannot access gambling websites or apps, avoiding places where they used to gamble, playing non-gambling games online, and distracting themselves with other activities when they feel urges to gamble. These techniques made participants feel more in control of their gambling, which in some cases mitigated negative financial impacts. Participants also described practicing meditation or praying to create a more positive outlook on life and help them cope, whilst experiencing negative consequences from gambling.

Participants also mentioned wider forms of support such as support from family and friends, which they had received when experiencing adverse consequences from gambling. This included staying with family if encountering housing difficulties due to their gambling or receiving advice for how to improve experiences of gambling consequences. Additionally, participants described watching YouTube videos or listening to podcasts which discussed addiction. Participants also reported accessing more formal support for challenges related to gambling, such as Gamblers Anonymous meetings, and therapy. These methods were helpful for understanding their experiences with gambling and trying to prevent future experiences of adverse consequences.

6.3. Barriers to accessing support

Participants reported a wide range of barriers to accessing support for adverse consequences from gambling. A common view from participants was that their experiences with negative consequences from gambling were not severe enough to qualify needing support. Others felt that to seek out support was to admit a failure in allowing their gambling to negatively impact their lives. Related to this was the issue of stigma. Participants highlighted feelings of embarrassment and shame due to gambling. These feelings and experiences acted as a barrier to accessing support, such as reaching out to their support network, group therapy sessions or Gamblers Anonymous.

Other barriers described by participants were a lack of awareness of the kinds of support available and lack of trust in support tools, specifically those offered by gambling operators. Participants expressed scepticism about how trustworthy and effective tools offered by the gambling industry would be in supporting people, due to the feeling that they are implemented only ‘as a PR exercise’ or the perception of the industry benefitting from people gambling therefore not being really interested in helping them stop.

7 - Conclusion and recommendations

This qualitative research involved follow-up interviews with participants who took part in the Gambling Survey for Great Britain (GSGB). The research sought to explore experiences with adverse consequences (identified through the survey) in greater depth and identified the following:

• journeys with gambling consequences are complex and influenced by a wide range of external factors which include factors related to individuals (such as childhood experiences, employment, social networks, and health), wider social and political factors (such as the COVID-19 pandemic and rising costs of living), and factors related to the gambling industry (such as the types of gambling offered and advertising)
• first experiences with gambling are often (but not always) positive, with adverse consequences often developing over time and some participants experiencing them more quickly than others. This was particularly the case when a distressing life event (such as bereavement or the loss of a job) led to increased gambling frequency as a ‘coping mechanism’. However, the relationship between positive and negative consequences was not linear and while in some cases positive consequences preceded negative ones, and created the conditions for their emergence by encouraging an increase in gambling participation, in other cases they occurred in parallel. The research identified variation in participants’ first experiences with adverse consequences. Often financial consequences were experienced first which led to subsequent impacts on mental health or relationships. However, in other cases, relationship consequences were experienced first, for example, conflict with friends and family stemming from stigma surrounding gambling participation
• there are complex interactions between different adverse consequences as well as external factors. Participants described a range of ways that harms interrelated, including one consequence leading to another (such as financial consequences leading to relationship consequences), consequences taking place simultaneously, and circular or reinforcing relationships between gambling consequences
• participants took varied approaches to reduce or prevent adverse consequences from gambling. This included personal budgeting techniques to reduce financial consequences, the use of apps or banks to block gambling participation and using deposit limit tools offered by gambling operators. Interviews also highlighted the importance of support networks for reducing negative consequences related to gambling.

Recommendations for reducing gambling consequences

This research has shown that journeys with gambling consequences are complex and influenced by a range of external factors which are often unpredictable. Interventions aiming to address gambling harms should consider that gambling consequences can occur at any point in someone’s journey with gambling. This may be very soon after starting gambling or decades into gambling experiences. This research has also shown complex interactions between different adverse consequences. Interventions to support those experiencing gambling harm will likely need to be targeted or flexible, to support those experiencing varying types of harm and have the ability to provide holistic support (for example, supporting with financial impacts as well as relationship impacts). Participants highlighted how tools provided by gambling operators (such as deposit limits) could be helpful, particularly for reducing adverse consequences related to finances. However, this research also identified issues related to trust in these tools (as they were provided by the gambling industry who were perceived to primarily have commercial interests). Building full trust in support options available will be key to supporting those who experienced adverse consequences to access help.

Recommendations for future research

This research has added to the evidence base for several of the Gambling Commission’s Evidence gaps and priorities for 2023 to 2026. This includes Evidence Theme 1 (early gambling experiences and gateway products), Evidence Theme 2 (the range and variability of gambling experiences), and Evidence Theme 3 (gambling-related harms and vulnerability). The following recommendations for areas of further exploration would continue to develop the evidence base in these 3 priority areas:

1. This research identified that gambling consequences are interrelated, often long-term and hard to disentangle from people’s individual life circumstances. This emphasises the importance of continued qualitative research to give depth to quantitative findings about adverse gambling consequences. The journeys explored in this report identified the significance of life events for experiences of gambling consequences which could be explored in further qualitative work. This includes starting, changing and ending employment (for example, through retirement or redundancy) and changes to households (for example, having children or children leaving home) or relocating (for example, moving house).
2. The importance of these life events and stages could be further explored using existing GSGB data on potentially adverse and severe consequences from gambling. This data could be analysed in relation to variables on age, employment, health and wellbeing, and specific factors like retirement. This research identified that the first adverse consequences experienced by participants were often financial or relationship consequences, which then led to further (often different) adverse consequences. There would also be benefit in exploring these consequences longitudinally using quantitative data to explore changes to adverse consequences through time, and attempt to identify which key life events may increase the risk of experiencing adverse consequences.
3. Future research in this area should involve co-production with those with lived experience. Working alongside the Commission’s Lived Experience Advisory Panel (LEAP) in this research was essential to ensuring that the research was accessible and inclusive, did not cause psychological harm to those taking part, and covered a wide range of relevant areas.

Appendix A - Qualitative research on the consequences of gambling

Topic guide summary

Introductions and background (10 minutes)

• participant introduction
• brief overview of gambling activity.

Experiences of consequences from gambling (20 minutes)

• participant experiences of gambling (positive and negative)
• timeline of participants experiences of gambling consequences
• wider factors that contributed to negative experiences (such employment, income, or factors related to family and friends)
• participant’s experiences of adverse consequences
• participant’s experiences in the last year since completing the survey.

Relationship between gambling consequences (15 minutes)

• whether consequences experienced are related to each other
• factors that drive the order in which harms were experienced.

Preventing and reducing adverse consequences (10 minutes)

• awareness of support for gambling harms
• experiences of accessing formal or informal support for adverse consequences
• reasons for not accessing support (if applicable).

Interview close (5 minutes)

• final closing comments.