Submission Title
Gambling by schoolchildren in Great Britain - insights from the UK Data Archive
Session Title
Session 1-1-A: Problem Gambling and Vulnerable Communities, Part 1
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation
Location
Park MGM, Las Vegas, NV
Start Date
23-5-2023 10:15 AM
End Date
23-5-2023 11:45 AM
Disciplines
Public Policy
Abstract
During the course of the last decade, major concerns have been raised in relation to the effect on minors of the increasing visibility and availability of betting and gaming services - with particular emphasis on remote gambling and marketing practices to promote remote gambling. Since 1995, the British government has – via its regulatory agencies – conducted gambling prevalence studies amongst schoolchildren. From 2014, this work has been commissioned by the market regulator, the Gambling Commission, and published as the Young People and Gambling Survey. The Commission’s annual reports however, have contained only a limited selection of findings. In 2022, the Gambling Commission allowed access to the full survey results through the archive of the UK Data Service. Our study examines previously unpublished findings from the Young People and Gambling Survey, including (DSM-IV-MR-J) ‘problem gambling’ prevalence rates by activity; risk factors; and self-reported associations between advertising and gambling participation. This study provides valuable insights into the nature of betting and gaming by schoolchildren (aged 11-to-16 years) and confounds or reframes a number of popular assertions in relation to underage gambling in Great Britain.
Keywords
gambling, children, harm
Funding Sources
No funding has been received in relation to this study
Competing Interests
The author has conducted paid research for licensed gambling operators and government bodies; as well as pro bono work for charitable organisations
Gambling by schoolchildren in Great Britain - insights from the UK Data Archive
Park MGM, Las Vegas, NV
During the course of the last decade, major concerns have been raised in relation to the effect on minors of the increasing visibility and availability of betting and gaming services - with particular emphasis on remote gambling and marketing practices to promote remote gambling. Since 1995, the British government has – via its regulatory agencies – conducted gambling prevalence studies amongst schoolchildren. From 2014, this work has been commissioned by the market regulator, the Gambling Commission, and published as the Young People and Gambling Survey. The Commission’s annual reports however, have contained only a limited selection of findings. In 2022, the Gambling Commission allowed access to the full survey results through the archive of the UK Data Service. Our study examines previously unpublished findings from the Young People and Gambling Survey, including (DSM-IV-MR-J) ‘problem gambling’ prevalence rates by activity; risk factors; and self-reported associations between advertising and gambling participation. This study provides valuable insights into the nature of betting and gaming by schoolchildren (aged 11-to-16 years) and confounds or reframes a number of popular assertions in relation to underage gambling in Great Britain.