New Delhi, October 25 (IANS). With the advent of the digital revolution the market for online casinos and sports betting has grown rapidly. Due to this, about 80 million people around the world are facing gambling addiction or related problems, with teenagers being the most affected. This information was published in The Lancet Public Health Commission on Friday.
The Commission said that children and teenagers are most affected by gambling advertisements, due to which they get trapped in the attraction of gambling. This is because children and teenagers are being drawn into online gambling games to “make easy money”.
The Commission recommended implementing stricter regulations globally to reduce the ill effects of gambling so as to reduce its negative impact on public health and people’s well-being.
A team of international researchers conducted the study and found that approximately 448.7 million adults worldwide encounter some form of gambling. Of these, about 80 million people are facing gambling addiction or related problems.
Additionally, gambling through online casinos and slot games is leading to 15.8 percent of adults and 26.4 percent of adolescents developing gambling addiction. Sports betting is affecting 8.9 percent of adults and 16.3 percent of teenagers.
Professor Heather Wardle of the University of Glasgow said that “now anyone has a kind of casino in their pocket 24 hours a day via mobile phone.”
He also said that big tech companies are adopting many techniques to get people to gamble again and again, which can become a big threat to health.
Wardle said, “Gambling has become easier to start and harder to stop because of advanced marketing and technology. If we delay, gambling and its ill effects will become more widespread and deeper.”
The Commission also reported that commercial gambling is linked to problems such as economic loss, mental and physical problems, strain in relationships, increased risk of suicide and domestic violence, increased criminal activity and loss of employment.
The Commission has appealed to governments to treat gambling as a public health issue, in the same way as tobacco and alcohol, to protect future generations from the harms caused by gambling.
–IANS
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