Prevalence and Epidemiology of Gambling Harm

Summary

Recent meta-analyses estimate adult prevalence of problem or pathological gambling at approximately 1.29%, with an additional 2.43% engaged in moderate-risk gambling. Online gambling, electronic gambling machines, and poker are consistently associated with the highest odds of harm.

Knowledge Gaps

• Lack of longitudinal data on how prevalence rates shift in response to rapid market expansion in emerging jurisdictions.

Concerns

Prevalence rates have plateaued despite overall reductions in gambling participation, suggesting that remaining participants are at higher risk.

Proposed Theories

• The 'Concentration of Harm' hypothesis: As participation declines, the remaining active gambling population becomes increasingly composed of high-risk individuals, leading to stable harm rates despite lower overall engagement.

Sources