The gambling problem is getting worse as people use their phones and the Internet to place bets. Photo: SEBASTIAN GOLLNOW/dpa
Gamblers can wager away their very last penny and drag their families down too, in a problem that’s growing worse as people use their phones and the Internet to place bets anywhere at any time.
About 450 million people have at least one behavioural symptom or have experienced a harmful personal, social or health consequence of gambling, according to a Lancet public health commission report last year.
The increasingly complex commercial ecosystem for gambling and its digital transformation offers unparalleled opportunities for gambling, the commission notes.
Another problem is that gambling addiction often goes unnoticed for a long time.
“Gambling disorder is one of the most common addictions in Germany, with serious consequences for health, relationships and financial well-being,” says Hendrik Streeck, the German government’s addiction commissioner.
In Germany, he estimates that around 1.3 million adults are affected and hundreds of thousands of children are growing up with a parent who is addicted to gambling.
Above all, digital gambling exacerbate the situation, Streeck says.
“Gambling is not a harmless leisure activity. We need consistent protection for young people and players, effective prevention and better data in order to effectively protect those affected and their families.”
‘Like a rush’
For Nicole Dreifeld, it was the slot machine. “At first, €4 (RM19.58) became €40 (RM195). Then it was like a rush. You try again and again, thinking about all the things you could buy.”
She gambled away around €60,000 (RM293,274) in four years, says Dreifeld, who is now chair of the German Gambling Addiction Self-Help Association.
Her son was six when she began to gamble to excess. A single mother, she often left him alone for hours to go to the arcade. “Looking back, I was a terrible mother, but when you’re addicted, you always find an excuse to indulge in gambling.”
She put all her savings and her salary into gambling. Her debts piled up to €25,797 (RM126,288).
“Every gambler is also a perfect actor,” she says. That means that this form of addiction often remains hidden, which can also be disastrous for the children, who also need help. Together with fellow campaigners, Dreifeld founded the federal association at the end of 2021.
“Gambling-addicted parents are so caught up in their problems that they cannot take adequate care of their children,” says Verena Kupperbusch, head of the North Rhine-Westphalia State Office for Gambling Addiction in Bielefeld. “Psychological neglect is a major problem.”
Estimates suggest that there are around 600,000 children and young people with at least one gambling-addicted parent in Germany, with the numbers varying from one country to the next.
“This can lead to anxiety disorders, depression, problems at school and a decline in performance,” says Kupperbusch.
“Children learn from their parents to hide and deny. Gambling addiction is the dominant topic at home, but no one outside the home is allowed to know about it. This puts enormous pressure on the children.”
How kids suffer
They often suffer in silence and are difficult to reach for help. Gambling problems also increase the risk of domestic violence, says Kupperbusch.
The financial hardship is noticeable to the children who can see if a school trip is no longer affordable. It often takes one to five years for those affected to seek help, placing a heavy burden on their children.
Advertising for gambling should be restricted, Kupperbusch says, in a call echoed in nations worldwide.
In the United States, Americans’ view of legalised sports betting has shifted slightly in the past three years, says a poll conducted by Pew Research Center. Respondents are leaning more toward the idea that it’s bad for both society and sports.
“Today, 43% of US adults say the fact that sports betting is now legal in much of the country is a bad thing for society. That’s up from 34% in 2022. And 40% of adults now say it’s a bad thing for sports, up from 33%,” the Pew Research Center says.
In Germany, 1.4 million people between the ages of 18 and 70 nationwide are considered addicted to gambling according to 2023 data.
Another 3.5 million affected individuals exhibit risky behaviour, says psychologist Tobias Hayer from the University of Bremen.
But the market is growing. Sales in the legal gambling market recently reached a record high of €63.5bil (RM310.86bil) resulting in €6.6bil (RM32.31bil) in tax revenue for the state. The sum is more than twice as high as the revenue from alcohol-related taxes, he says.
“Gambling addiction can affect anyone,” says Hayer. Men are more likely to be addicted to gambling than women.
Young people and young adults, people with low incomes, low levels of education and people with a migrant background are considered to be at greater risk.
And children from families with gambling addictions are three to five times more likely to become excessive gamblers themselves later in life.
Underestimated issue
The problem is underestimated, he says, and there is a need for widespread education, more funding for research, prevention and the care system.
“Gambling games have varying degrees of addictive potential,” he says. There’s a great danger when a game is widely available and the speed of play is high.
Online gambling is particularly high-risk as people can use their mobile phones to place bets anytime and anywhere. Payments are cashless, inhibitions are lowered, and people can bet anonymously, without any social controls.
Martin, a family man from Unna, knows this all too well. He was addicted to online casinos for a long time and accumulated massive debts. “I was able to hide it well from my wife and son because I kept taking out new loans to pay off the old ones,” he says.
For a long time, he managed to intercept letters from the bailiff. “I completely ruined us, abused trust excessively and dragged my family down with me.”
With the help of outpatient therapy, he managed to free himself from the quagmire of online gambling, Martin says.
“Gambling addiction can be treated, but not cured. I am a recovering gambler.”
Dreifeld echoes this sentiment. “You are always just an arm’s length away from a relapse. The addicted brain never sleeps.” – dpa
