A national programme to address the harm caused by the “highly addictive” nature of modern gambling has launched with the message to those suffering that “this is not your fault”.
Chapter One has been developed by Gambling with Lives, a charity founded in 2018 by families bereaved by gambling suicide, and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, and will now operate across the UK.
Director James Grimes said that while there was now more support and treatment for those suffering from gambling harm than ever before, only a small fraction of those affected ever accessed help, leaving individuals and families to bear the burden.
A major reason for this was a lack of awareness about the highly addictive nature of modern gambling, with many people wrongly blaming themselves for their struggles, Mr Grimes said.
Young people and educators received little to no education on the risks, and professionals who encountered those who were struggling often did not know how to respond or where to turn for help.
The launch on Wednesday includes a Ten Point Plan for Gambling Harm Prevention developed by Chapter One in collaboration with London South Bank University (LSBU) alongside people with lived experience, and will be used to inform best practice across the UK.
The points include all school children receiving a mandated education session, frontline health professionals being trained to support someone affected and the public being given the facts about the causes and effects of gambling harm.
Tom Mills, senior research fellow at LSBU, said: “We have drawn on evidence from diverse sectors to develop this 10-point plan.
“There is a lot that can be done through messaging, education and support but the narratives must be right.
“In this respect, Chapter One is groundbreaking in its counter to industry framing.
“We fully support this further step towards the multi-levelled public health approach that we desperately need.”
Mr Grimes added: “Far too many people, myself included, have been harmed by gambling.
“Chapter One is here to change that.
“Our message to anyone harmed by gambling is clear: You are not alone. This is not your fault. Free, confidential help is available.”
The Department of Health and Social Care’s National Suicide Prevention Strategy highlights gambling as one of just six “common risk factors linked to suicide at a population level”, stating that “gambling can be a dominant factor without which the death may not have occurred”.
Earlier this year new National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) guidance encouraged healthcare professionals to ask about gambling as part of a routine health assessment.
Professor Henrietta Bowden-Jones, national clinical adviser on gambling harms at NHS England, said: “Gambling can have an enormous impact on people’s lives – and for those gambling, it can lead to isolation, depression, severe financial problems and in some cases suicide.
“The stigma from being in this situation can be overwhelming, which is why initiatives like this one are crucial to empower people to understand gambling harms and get the right support in place.
“The NHS is committed to ensuring those who need support for gambling harms get it, so if you or someone you know is struggling, you can refer yourself to your local NHS gambling clinic.”
A Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) spokesman said: “BGC members voluntarily contributed over £170 million over the last four years to tackle problem gambling and gambling-related harm, including £50 million in 2024, funding an independent network of charities currently caring for 85% of all problem gamblers receiving treatment in Britain.
“Each month, 22.5 million adults in Britain enjoy a bet, on the lottery, in bookmakers, casinos, bingo halls and online, while the most recent NHS Health Survey for England estimated that just 0.4% of the adult population are problem gamblers.”
