This report examines how people are stigmatised due to the harm they experience from gambling. The purpose was to understand which groups of people are most impacted. The research involved a review of the evidence, analysis of data from online peer support forums, a survey of 3,567 people, interviews with 35 people with lived experience and 24 interest holders, and a discourse analysis. Stigmatization and discrimination were associated with psychological distress and negative impacts on mental health, relationships, and occupational opportunities. Certain people were at increased risk of stigmatization and/or discrimination, such as women, young people, and people from a minority ethnic group. In addition, the fear of being stigmatized prevented a significant number of people from seeking help.
Recommendations include:
- Ensure support/treatment spaces are non-judgemental and promote this in campaigns/literature.
- Challenge beliefs that contribute to the perpetuation of stigma in awareness campaigns.
- Target campaigns at people who are more likely to experience or demonstrate stigma.
- Involve people with lived experience of gambling harms in the development of interventions to counter stigmatization and discrimination.
