Gambling poses global threat to public health, experts warn

Gambling poses a growing worldwide threat to public health, with its rapid expansion via mobile phones and the internet harming far more people than previously thought, a landmark report warns.

- Andrew Gregory

Much stronger global regulatory controls are urgently needed to curb the impact of commercial gambling on worldwide health and wellbeing, a group of leading experts in gambling, public health, global health and regulatory policy has concluded.

About 450 million people had at least one behavioural symptom or had experienced a harmful personal, social or health consequence of gambling, the 45-page report of the Lancet Public Health Commission on gambling found. Of those, at least 80 million suffered from gambling disorder, a mental health condition identified by a pattern of repeated and continuing betting despite negative consequences for their lives.

The estimates of the numbers experiencing significant harm to their health from gambling were likely to be conservative, the experts said.