The “barrage” of gambling adverts around sports matches on Boxing Day will worsen Britain’s growing gambling problem, NHS bosses have warned.
Promotional techniques by unscrupulous gambling companies, including free Christmas bets, will increase gambling-related harm by encouraging gamblers to bet amounts they cannot afford, they say.
Gambling addiction causes so much damage that the NHS in England has almost doubled the number of specialist clinics to help addicts from eight to 15 in the past year.
The healthcare system is facing “an uphill battle” to provide adequate care for the increasing number of people referred by GPs with gambling-related health problems.
Dr. Matt Gaskell, the head of the NHS Northern Gambling Service, urged people who earn money as a Christmas gift or bonus not to risk losing it by using it to place bets.
“People may receive extra money in the form of gifts or bonuses during the holiday season, or discover that money is tight, and may be tempted to take a chance and end up betting more than they intended.
“With the barrage of adverts promoting festive fixtures, races and offers such as free Christmas bets, it may look attractive, but these often encourage people to bet at a high frequency,” Gaskell said.
“In my clinic I have seen with my own eyes how the festive period can lead to additional gambling damage.”
NHS England’s clinics mainly provide psychological support to people suffering from gambling-related problems, such as mental health problems, suicide risk and relationship breakdown. They stretch from Newcastle and Preston in the north to Southampton and Thurrock in the south.
The number of referrals the clinics accepted almost tripled from 775 in 2020/21 to 2,284 in 2023/24 as the number of openings expanded to meet growing demand.
They expect to treat at least 3,000 people this year, now that 15 clinics are open. In 2024, a record 1,914 problem gamblers were referred from April to September, more than double the 836 referrals received in the same period in 2023.
“The 24/7 gambling industry is causing increasing damage with addictive products and an inescapable barrage of advertising – especially through regular sporting events, with betting company logos on football shirts and eye-catching advertisements during the breaks of televised matches – which is turning more and more people gambling is beyond their ability and control,” said Claire Murdoch, National Director of Mental Health at NHS England.
“The NHS is fighting an uphill battle to provide care to more and more people affected by this modern scourge and the predatory tactics used by shameless gambling companies to boost profits.
“Addiction is a cruel disease that can take over and ruin lives. The NHS cannot be left alone to tackle the ills caused by companies engaged in activities that fuel addiction.”
Anyone struggling with a gambling problem, or who is close to someone who does, should ask the NHS for help, Murdoch added. She urged companies to be more responsible and “think carefully about the potential harm to people behind their profits”.
Ministers recently unveiled plans to impose a new statutory levy on gambling industry profits, which aims to raise £100 million a year. The proceeds are spent on research into gambling problems and how to prevent and treat them.
GambleAware, an industry-funded charity, echoed NHS concerns that Christmas gambling adverts posed particular challenges for people who gamble regularly.
“Gambling harm can affect anyone and Christmas can be a particularly difficult time of year for many.
“Having so many sporting events during the Christmas holidays, with a lot of gambling advertising around them, can make it difficult for people,” said Zoë Osmond, CEO of GambleAware.
“This is why we have called for a ban on gambling advertising in sports to avoid normalizing gambling, especially for the children and young people who will be watching.”
The National Gambling Support Networkwhich helps problem gamblers across Britain, has treated almost 11,000 people this year – 12% more than last year. And the number of calls to the National Gambling Helpline is 55,000 per year.
In October, the Lancet medical journal’s gambling committee warned that gambling is a global threat to public health. It is also linked to domestic violence, other crime and people losing their jobs, the expert panel said.
Around 80 million adults worldwide suffer from gambling disorders or problematic gambling, with adolescents, children and poorer people most affected, the study found.