GamCare Data Reveals Surge in Online Slot Addiction Cases
Date: 2023-09-21 Author: Dima Zakharov Categories: EVENTS
New data from the gambling charity GamCare has unveiled a concerning trend in the world of online gambling. According to their latest findings, the number of individuals seeking assistance for issues related to online slot machines has nearly doubled in the past five years.
In the 2022-23 period, a staggering 60% of those who admitted to facing problems with online gambling pointed to online slots as one of their primary challenges. This marks a significant increase from the 34% reported between 2018 and 2019.
The data also sheds light on the fact that a staggering 73% of all individuals reaching out to the National Gambling Helpline over the past year have been grappling with issues stemming from online gambling.
This valuable information is based on the input of 5,660 callers to the National Gambling Helpline who explicitly mentioned the type of gambling activity causing them trouble, with 4,154 of them attributing their difficulties to online gambling.
Colin Walsh, the Lived Experience Manager at GamCare, points out that online slots have now become a disproportionately significant problem for many individuals seeking assistance.
According to Walsh, "There still exists a common belief that gambling harm primarily arises from betting on horses or sports events. However, over the past five years, we have observed a general trend where people initially engage in these activities but later transition into other realms of online gambling, where it becomes easy to lose track of both time and money."
GamCare serves as a vital support system for individuals adversely affected by gambling. The organization runs the National Gambling Helpline 24/7, receiving over 44,000 contacts each year via phone, live chat, and WhatsApp.
In the 2022-23 period, a staggering 60% of those who admitted to facing problems with online gambling pointed to online slots as one of their primary challenges. This marks a significant increase from the 34% reported between 2018 and 2019.
The data also sheds light on the fact that a staggering 73% of all individuals reaching out to the National Gambling Helpline over the past year have been grappling with issues stemming from online gambling.
This valuable information is based on the input of 5,660 callers to the National Gambling Helpline who explicitly mentioned the type of gambling activity causing them trouble, with 4,154 of them attributing their difficulties to online gambling.
Colin Walsh, the Lived Experience Manager at GamCare, points out that online slots have now become a disproportionately significant problem for many individuals seeking assistance.
According to Walsh, "There still exists a common belief that gambling harm primarily arises from betting on horses or sports events. However, over the past five years, we have observed a general trend where people initially engage in these activities but later transition into other realms of online gambling, where it becomes easy to lose track of both time and money."
GamCare serves as a vital support system for individuals adversely affected by gambling. The organization runs the National Gambling Helpline 24/7, receiving over 44,000 contacts each year via phone, live chat, and WhatsApp.
