In recent years, gambling marketing has increased in many countries. Gambling marketing practices have also become more sophisticated and diverse. Moreover, the industry has been using financial inducements to attract new customers and retain current ones. Financial inducements are promotional offers such as free bets, deposit matches, and welcome bonuses. Some people view inducements as providing value. However, research has found that inducements can increase the risk for gambling harms. Inducements can make people feel like they are not betting with their own money, gamble more frequently, and place riskier bets.

Gambling stigma is when people who gamble are exposed to negative perceptions. Stigma can be held by external individuals or by those who suffer from the issue (e.g., gambling) themselves. Stigma is a barrier to people seeking help. The gambling industry often frames gamblingrelated harm as a personal responsibility. Their campaigns often focus on how people who gamble can use deposit limit setting tools. In contrast, UKbased harm prevention campaigns increasingly are developed by charities run by people with lived experience of gambling harms, as well as local government authorities. These campaigns often try to educate the public about factors that influence gambling-related harm, such as the nature of gambling companies and their products. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of five UK-based harm prevention advertisements on gambling-related stigma.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused major changes in the gambling landscape, reducing the availability of land-based gambling and sports betting. Social media allows gambling operators to reach a large network of users. On social media, gambling affiliates are usually presented as sports betting communities or tipping accounts. Affiliates often receive commission for attracting customers to gambling operators that they have partnered with. However, this commercial arrangement may not be made clear to users.

Gambling is a common recreational activity around the globe. While most people do not experience harms from their gambling, a sizeable number of people do. Problem gambling (PG) is often linked to significant interpersonal and financial harms. Some populations are at a higher risk of developing PG, including current and former members of the armed forces. Recent research has found that rates of moderate to severe PG among veterans are double the rates seen in the general population

The UK government published a White Paper on gambling regulation in April 2023. The White Paper represents the most significant review of the gambling sector in the UK since the Gambling Act 2005 (GA). The White Paper focuses on online gambling; nonetheless, reflection on the high-street (i.e., non-remote, land-based) betting sector is also needed. In the UK, gambling operators are bound by the Social Responsibility Code (SRC), part of the Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice (LCCP). The SRC sets out requirements that licensed operators must uphold in reducing gambling harm. This research examines how the legal and regulatory frameworks after the GA have changed the labour of front-line staff within the high-street betting sector. It explores the challenges and impacts on employees, who bear the responsibility of meeting the SCR requirements while facing the pressure of maximizing profits.

The Preventing Gambling-related Harm in Adolescents (PRoGRAM-A) is a peer-led, social network intervention that aims to prevent adolescent gambling and reduce gambling-related harm (GRH). A pilot trial of PRoGRAM-A was carried out at six secondary schools in Scotland with students aged 13 to 15 years old. Four schools were randomly assigned to receive the intervention, while the other two served as control. The aim of the pilot trial was to determine whether to move forward with a full-scale phase III trial to assess effectiveness and cost-effectiveness.

Gambling harms are often framed as a matter of personal responsibility. This can create stigma and undermine public health initiatives. Community mobilization is seen as a key strategy for addressing gambling harms and for shifting blame away from personal responsibility to the design of harmful gambling products and marketing.

Unhealthy commodity industries include tobacco, alcohol, unhealthy food and drink, and gambling. These industries use various tactics to market their products and target vulnerable populations like young people. There is a growing recognition that a comprehensive strategic public health approach is needed to reduce health harms from these unhealthy commodities. The purpose of this study was to understand public support in Great Britain for policies that target unhealthy commodities. The study also explored factors that were associated with support for policy action.

Gambling can lead to harms for people who gamble as well as their family and friends. In the United Kingdom (UK) and the Netherlands, a new approach to gambling harm prevention is to implement affordability or financial risk assessments. In both jurisdictions, gambling operators are required to assess the financial situation of a person who wishes to gamble beyond a set threshold. In the UK, financial risk assessment occurs when a person’s net deposit (i.e., deposit minus withdrawal) passes £150 in 30 days. In the Netherlands, the government has set a monthly deposit limit of €300 for those aged 18 to 24 years old and €700 for anyone 25 years or older.

People who experience gambling-related harms may struggle with thoughts of suicide and may even attempt suicide. The UK National Institute of Health and Care Excellence guidelines recommend that health and social care providers ask about gambling when helping people who present with mental health concerns, to provide more effective care. It is currently unknown if some gambling products or modes of gambling (in-person versus online) are more likely to be linked to suicidal thoughts and attempts. Understanding if the risk is higher among people who engage with certain types of gambling products can help improve mental health care. In this study, the researchers aimed to identify profiles of people who regularly gamble on sports, based on their gambling activities and behaviours. The researchers then compared the socioeconomic characteristics and risk of suicidal thoughts and attempts of people with different profiles.

Previous research has found that people with gambling disorder are more likely to have suicidal thoughts and non-lethal suicide attempts than people without gambling disorder. However, there are few studies that follow participants over time. Using data collected for a cohort study in Avon, United Kingdom, this study aimed to examine whether harmful gambling is linked to concurrent and future suicide attempts in young adults. The researchers also examined whether an increase in problem gambling severity is a unique risk factor for suicide attempts.

According to the 2023 Gambling Survey for Great Britain, almost one-quarter (23.9%) of adults who gambled in the past year were considered at some risk of gambling-related harm. Gambling-related harm has been linked to psychological distress, which includes difficult emotional experiences like anxiety and depression symptoms. However, few studies have looked at this relationship using population-based surveys. It is also unclear whether the link between gambling and psychological distress is stronger for people who belong to certain sociodemographic groups.

Gambling disorder is a public health concern worldwide. One public health approach to addictive disorders is screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT). Electronic-SBIRT (e-SBIRT) programs that are offered online have also become popular in recent years. Previous research has found that e-SBIRT programs can help reduce harm caused by substance misuse (e.g., risky drinking). The purpose of this study was to determine the acceptability of an e-SBIRT program for gambling. The researchers also examined how gambling severity might impact acceptability.