According to a recent report by the National Gambling Treatment Service, only 9,008 people who experienced problem gambling received treatment in 2019-20. The report outlines that 69% of the participants completed the treatment successfully while 24% dropped out before the end of their treatment.
In 2019-20 Only 9,008 Problem Gamblers Received Treatment
Earlier this week, the National Gambling Treatment Service revealed its annual statistics outlining the number of problem gamblers who have received treatment. The newly released report covered the period April 1, 2019, through March 31, 2020. Within that period, according to the report, some 9,008 people received treatment.
With that in mind, a study by NHS Digital from 2018 revealed that there were 280,000 people affected by problem gambling in England. If we compare the number of people who received treatment in 2019-20 to the number from the NHS Digital study, we observe that only 3.2% of the people with problem gambling received treatment.
In an interview for The Guardian, Claire Murdoch, NHS National Mental Health Director outlined that four new clinics are opening doors to help the treatment of people experiencing problem gambling. However, according to her, the recent report is a “wake-up call” for the gambling industry that “causes extraordinary harm”. Furthermore, Murdoch said that additional efforts are needed to prevent vulnerable gamblers from needing NHS treatment in the first place.
Last month, GambleAware revealed the results following phase one of the independent evaluation of the treatment and support system. The gambling charity established a framework for an “exemplar gambling treatment system” and revealed that there are knowledge gaps in the current multi-level structure.
Some 69% of the People Completed Their Treatment
According to the recent report, out of the 9,008 people who received gambling treatment, 75% were male. Approximately 89% were from a White ethnic background which includes 81% White British and 5% White European. The next most common reported ethnic background was Asian or Asian British which represented 5% of the total number.
Looking at the work status, 75% of the people who received treatment were employed. Only 9% of the people who received treatment were unemployed, while 7% were unable to work due to illness. Some 2% of the problem gamblers were students or retired.
Some 90% of the people who turned to the program completed the request themselves. The treatment was completed by 69% of the people who participated in the treatment program in 2019-20. In contrast, 24% of the problem gamblers dropped out before the set endpoint. The study also found that unemployed people were more likely to drop out of treatment. A big part of the gamblers who received treatment – 71% said that they are having a debt due to their gambling. Some 12% admitted to losing their job due to gambling while 26% said they experienced a relationship loss because of gambling.