A recent survey published on July 15, 2024, in the Lancet Public Health has uncovered concerning trends in gambling behaviour across the globe, identifying Western Europe as the leading region for teenage problem gambling. The study, which amassed nearly 4,000 responses from 68 countries, focuses on gambling habits among both adults and adolescents.

Global gambling trends

The survey found that, across the world, 46% of adults and 18% of adolescents had engaged in gambling activities within the past 12 months. The data reveals gender disparity, with higher rates of gambling observed among men (49%) compared to women (37%).

Among adults, 9% were classified as engaging in any risk gambling, and 1.41% were identified as problematic gamblers. Online casino or slots gambling posed the highest risk, with 16% of participants engaging in problematic gambling through these formats.

Teenage gambling

The study’s findings are particularly alarming for adolescents. Previous reviews from 2017 indicated that problem gambling among adolescents ranged from 0.2% to 12.3%. The current survey reveals that more than one in six adolescents gambled in the past year, with Western Europe showing the highest prevalence of teenage problem gambling. Among adolescents who gambled, online casino or slots gambling had the highest rate of problematic gambling at 26%.

 

 

Regional variations

Australasia reported the highest overall gambling prevalence at 70%, closely followed by North America at 61.3%. Latin America had the lowest prevalence at 31.7%, based on limited data. Problematic gambling rates were also varied, with North America having the highest estimate at 13.8%, while East and Southeast Asia reported the lowest at 5.9%.

Popular gambling activities

Among adults who had gambled in the past year, lottery or raffle tickets were the most common activities (74.5%), followed by instant lottery or win games (40%). Sports betting (11.5%), online gambling (13%), and electronic gaming machines (EGMs) (18.1%) were also prevalent.

The public health perspective

“Existing evidence suggests that gambling is prevalent globally, that a substantial proportion of the population engage in problematic gambling, and that rates of problematic gambling are greatest among those gambling on online formats,” reads the article.

“The commercial gambling industry has seen a rapid expansion globally, with estimates that the global gambling yield (the total amount of money lost by consumers to the gambling industry) will reach US$531 billion by 2025,” which calls for “an increasing recognition of gambling as a public health issue”, concludes the authors of the survey.