Tweet
Research which examines the links between gambling and debt has shown that debts up to £60,000 might be commonplace amongst problem gamblers.
The research, a groundbreaking collaboration between Gamcare, the Money Advice Trust (MAT), Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) and the Salvation Army, found that:
Gamcare Chief Executive Andy McLellan said;
“The way in which we and our partners in this research came together to tackle the problem shows that there is a commitment to being joined-up, and demonstrates the importance of co-operation rather than competition between agencies. We must and will build on this.”
Money Advice Trust Chief Executive Joanna Elson said:
“This is ground breaking work because very little research exists about the links between problem debt and problem gambling. A practical outcome of this work is the development of a simple “screen” that advice agencies might use to help them identify when problem gambling is a cause of debt. This will help us with our vision: reducing the number of people with unmanageable debt”.
The research report also recommended:
The executive summary of the 'Gambling and Debt Pathfinder Study' is available on the information hub and the full report will be updated shortly.
More...
The research, a groundbreaking collaboration between Gamcare, the Money Advice Trust (MAT), Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) and the Salvation Army, found that:
- Understanding of problem gambling amongst money advice agencies and in the NHS is extremely low
- Awareness of the help available to problem gamblers amongst these agencies and in the NHS, particularly GPs, is equally poor
- There is an urgent need to improve education about gambling for young people, alongside or as part of work on financial literacy and understanding chance and risk.
Gamcare Chief Executive Andy McLellan said;
“The way in which we and our partners in this research came together to tackle the problem shows that there is a commitment to being joined-up, and demonstrates the importance of co-operation rather than competition between agencies. We must and will build on this.”
Money Advice Trust Chief Executive Joanna Elson said:
“This is ground breaking work because very little research exists about the links between problem debt and problem gambling. A practical outcome of this work is the development of a simple “screen” that advice agencies might use to help them identify when problem gambling is a cause of debt. This will help us with our vision: reducing the number of people with unmanageable debt”.
The research report also recommended:
- Action for banks and the credit industry, including publicising helplines
- Linking with the Youth Justice Service and the criminal justice system
- A joined-up approach to self-exclusion within the gambling industry
- Improving awareness amongst employers of problem gambling and the measures they can take to help their employees, eg using blocking software to prevent employees from gambling at work.
The executive summary of the 'Gambling and Debt Pathfinder Study' is available on the information hub and the full report will be updated shortly.
More...
