Prevalence and Epidemiology of Gambling Harm

Summary

Recent meta-analyses estimate the adult prevalence of problem or pathological gambling at approximately 1.29%, with an additional 2.43% of adults classified as moderate-risk or at-risk. Online gambling, electronic gambling machines, and poker are associated with the highest odds of developing gambling-related problems.

Knowledge Gaps

• Lack of longitudinal data on how prevalence shifts in response to rapid market expansion
• Insufficient data on the specific impact of gambling harms on marginalized and disadvantaged subgroups

Concerns

Prevalence rates have plateaued despite reductions in overall gambling participation, suggesting that the intensity of harm among active gamblers may be increasing.

Proposed Theories

• The 'Intensity-Exposure Hypothesis' suggests that the shift toward high-frequency online gambling formats creates a higher harm-per-participant ratio than traditional forms.

Sources