An estimated 80 million people worldwide suffer from gambling disorders or problem gambling as a result of the significant expansion of the digital revolution in the online casino and sports betting markets. Adolescents are the most affected group, according to a recent study by the Lancet Public Health Commission.
The Commission study further states that children and teenagers are being exposed to gambling product marketing in unprecedented ways. Because of this exposure, they are particularly vulnerable to the lure of fast money and the addictive qualities of online gambling sites.
There is an urgent need for more knowledge and preventive measures to protect vulnerable people from the dangers of online gambling as the prevalence of problem gambling increases, especially among the younger population.
The author of reports say that “gambling is not a mere form of leisure; it can be a harmful, addictive behavior. The harms associated with gambling are far-reaching, affecting not only an individual’s health and well-being, but also their wealth and relationships, families and communities, and deepening inequalities in health and society.”
“By examining these harms, the Commission reveals the intersections between the social, commercial, legal and political determinants of health. The commission shines a light on the increasingly complex commercial gambling ecosystem and its digital transformation, which offers unparalleled gambling capacity,” the report added.
The commission calls on governments and policymakers to treat gambling as a public health problem – just as it does for other addictive and harmful goods such as alcohol and tobacco – and provides recommendations to prevent and mitigate the wide range of gambling-related harms. ” the report also says.
