In this study, the researchers described the framework they used to measure social surplus. They then estimated the surplus of gambling in France. The social surplus of gambling can be calculated by adding the consumer surplus, the producer surplus, and the taxation revenue. The researchers used data for the year 2019 and only considered legal gambling. The researchers found that the consumer surplus of people with problem gambling was negative for all types of gambling. The social surplus was a net loss of about 6 billion euros. The researchers also analyzed different scenarios, including changing the threshold of excessive gambling (vs. recreational gambling). The social surplus was negative in all scenarios for poker and sports betting. It was positive in all scenarios for draw lotteries and scratch cards.
