Members of Parliament (MPs) are calling for an independent review of gambling laws. Their main goal is to stop the rising negative impact of gambling, particularly improving the relationship of gambling with suicide. Layla Moran MP highlighted the critical gap in awareness among coroners regarding this connection, which often results in inadequate investigations into gambling-related deaths. We’re running out of time — literally. Those chilling figures paint a picture of just how acute the crisis is in England.
The Commons Health and Social Care Committee has emphasized that problem gambling frequently remains undocumented in medical notes, unlike more commonly recognized issues such as smoking, alcohol, or drug use. This lack of documentation contributes to public ignorance about the dangers associated with gambling, which has become increasingly prevalent and normalized in society.
Recommendations for Stronger Regulations
The committee’s recommendations call for stricter regulation of gambling advertising, promotion, and sponsorship. Layla Moran MP and others have sought a ban on gambling advertisements prior to the 9 p.m. watershed. As she explains in the article, these ads can have tremendous, disenfranchising effects on targeted communities. The committee recommended curbs on sports sponsorship by gambling companies. They further urged the companies to disclose and reduce manipulative practices that appeal to children and young people.
Gambling companies have been publicly shamed for their predatory marketing strategies. They often overstep, bombarding consumers with aggressive and personalized marketing — including free bet offers — at odd hours. An academic witness pointed out the troubling nature of these promotions, stating, “people receiving offers of free bets in the middle of the night” – [source: letter].
A Hidden Public Health Crisis
The charity Gambling with Lives submitted important evidence. They pointed to a serious gap in public understanding of the harms related to gambling, including its possible connection to suicide. Between 117 and 496 suicides in England in 2021-2022 can be attributed to problem gambling or gambling disorder. This shocking reality highlights the urgent necessity to act.
Earlier this year, a study commissioned by Public Health England found that 0.5% of adults experience gambling-related harms. The report determined that 3.8% of the population is at-risk level for gambling. In addition, 1 in 14 adults (7%) felt that their life had been harmed in some way by someone else’s problem gambling. This is made worse by the fact that 80% of the population are now exposed at least weekly to gambling advertising.
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