Projected need and demand
Between 2012 and 2018, overall gambling prevalence has fluctuated, with reductions in National Lottery participation (10%) but an increase in online gambling from 6% to 9%. The harmful gambling profile includes low National Lottery participation and high online gambling, indicating that the prevalence of gambling harm is likely to increase in the future.
During the pandemic, 20% of problem gamblers described gambling more. The impact of the pandemic and the subsequent cost of living crisis are likely to increase both the need and demand for gambling support.
Over the last few years, there has been an increase in the availability of gambling, both in-person and online. Whilst there are some national control regulations of gambling advertisements, children are regularly exposed to gambling advertisements. This can normalise and predict future gambling.