Statistics and research release
Problem gambling and gambling-related harms
An explanation of the difference between problem gambling and gambling-related harms.
Summary
Details
Problem gambling
‘Problem gambling’ means gambling to a degree that compromises, disrupts or damages family, personal or recreational pursuits. We currently measure problem gambling prevalence rates via a number of screening tools including the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI). This screen measures the following:
- PGSI score of 8 and over represents problem gambling by which a person will have experienced adverse consequences from gambling and may have lost control of their behaviour. Involvement in gambling can be at any level, but it is likely to be heavy
- PGSI score of 3 to 7 represents moderate risk gambling by which a person may or may not have experienced any adverse consequences from gambling but may be at risk if they are heavily involved in gambling
- PGSI score of 1 to 2 represents low risk gambling by which a person is unlikely to have experienced any adverse consequences from gambling but may be at risk if they are heavily involved in gambling.
However, there are a number of limitations relating to ‘problem gambling’:
- no screen for problem gambling is perfect
- ‘problem gambling’ refers to the person who gambles only. Prevalence estimates do not take into consideration the effects that gambling can have on others such as friends and family of those who gamble
- the term ‘at-risk’ can imply that people who have a PGSI score of 1 to 2 or 3 to 7 (representing low or moderate risk gambling) are not experiencing harm now but will do in the future, when in fact they are showing some signs of problematic behaviour now, but remain below the threshold for ‘problem’ gambling
- the term ‘at-risk’ can also imply that people who have a PGSI score of 1 to 2 or 3 to 7 (representing low or moderate risk gambling) will progress up the scale to a PGSI score of 8 or more and will experience problem gambling. However evidence from existing longitudinal studies (such as the Quinte Longitudinal Study of Gambling and Problem Gambling (opens in new tab) and the New Zealand National Gambling Study (opens in new tab)) suggests that some do and some do not.
Despite their limitations, the existing practice of measuring problem gambling prevalence rates do provide useful, if narrower, information on the scale of the problem.
Gambling-related harms
Gambling-related harms are the adverse impacts from gambling on the health and wellbeing of individuals, families, communities and society. These harms impact on people’s resources, relationships and health.
Negative effects can include loss of employment, debt, crime, breakdown of relationships and deterioration of physical and mental health. At its worst, gambling can contribute to loss of life through suicide.
Harms can be experienced by those who gamble themselves, but can also affect their children, partners, wider families and social networks, employers, communities and society as a whole.
Why it is important?
It is important to move from simply identifying the numbers of people classified by screening tools as at high, moderate or low risk of experiencing adverse consequences from gambling and consider how we will measure the real personal and societal costs which result from gambling.
Understanding and measuring gambling-related harms is therefore one of the Gambling Commission’s top priorities in order to make better and faster progress to reduce gambling harms. This will allow us to demonstrate the scale of gambling-related harms, understand what types of action is required if they are to be reduced, and monitor progress over time.
The current practice of assessing the extent of gambling-related harms by problem gambling prevalence rates can be misleading. Prevalence rates fail to capture a number of important dimensions of harm, including those experienced by others who do not directly gamble, but knows someone close to them who gambles (affected others). This means they are potentially underestimating the scale of the problem.
Where are we now?
We have published our technical report on assessing the adverse consequences from gambling which describes our recent developments about gambling-related harms.
Problem gambling rates as measured by the PGSI and the wider adverse consequences from gambling can be found within our GSGB Annual report (2023).
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