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Cards on the table: The cost to government of problem gambling in Great Britain

Author: C. Thorley, A. Stirling & E. Huynh Published: June 2016
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Summary

This report by Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), commissioned by GambleAware, provides the first estimate of the excess fiscal costs to the UK government incurred by problem gamblers.

Topics covered

  • prevalence of problem gambling in Britain
  • effects of problem gambling on individuals
  • methodology for estimating excess fiscal costs
  • estimates of costs across different government services

Key findings

The report estimates the excess fiscal costs associated with problem gamblers to be between £260 million and £1.16 billion per year. The largest costs are:
  • hospital inpatient services
  • mental health services
  • incarceration
While causation cannot be determined, the findings make the case for further action to address gambling-related harms.

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