International Gambling Harms Awareness Day

As we markInternational Gambling Harms Awareness Day, it is important to recognise that while gambling itself has changed dramatically, gambling harm has remained largely hidden. What has changed is how quickly harm can develop, how easily it can be concealed, and how seamlessly gambling now fits into everyday life.

Gambling is often described as a hidden addiction. Unlike substance use, there are rarely obvious physical signs that someone is losing control. People can continue working, caring for families, and appearing to cope on the outside, while experiencing significant distress, shame, and financial harm beneath the surface. This has always been true but in today’s gambling environment, it is more pronounced than ever.

Historically, gambling took place in specific locations and at specific times. Horse and dog racing events, betting shops, fruit machines, bingo halls, pubs, and physical casinos were the most common forms. Gambling was public, often social, and rooted in environments that were smoke-filled betting shops, noisy arcades, and busy casinos.

It involved cash, travel, queues, and opening hours that created natural pauses. Losses were tangible, and patterns of harm were more likely to be noticed by others. While gambling harm certainly existed, it was harder to conceal completely. Gambling functioned as a hidden addiction even then, but its impact was more likely to surface in visible ways.

As footfall on the high street declined, betting companies adapted quickly. Fixed Odds Betting Terminals (FOBTs) became central to the survival of betting shops.