This report organizes information on inequalities in gambling harm to understand its underlying causes, based on the finding that people are more likely to experience gambling-related harms when they are part of a minoritized and marginalized community. Using information largely from GambleAware research, the authors define a framework that outlines the relationship between inequalities in society and gambling harms. The authors also address factors that drive gambling harms, and the barriers to treatment and support to reduce gambling harm. The goal is to increase the effectiveness of addressing inequalities in gambling harm among commissioners, policy makers, researchers, policy campaigners, and treatment and support providers.
Key recommendations include:
- Create partnerships between support services and professionals in many sectors to address structural inequality.
- Address stigma to create pathways of support that are inclusive and equitable.
- Foster diversity in support service organizations to reflect the diversity of the people they serve. In the meantime, these organizations can engage high-quality interpretation services.
- Have staff who work in support services participate in training on cultural compentence to prevent unintentional exclusion or alienation.
- Conduct research that is inclusive and engages the community.
- Design campaigns that raise awareness about the signs of gambling harm and available supports for people who are part of minoritized and marginalized communities.
- Borrow methods from other sectors (e.g., mental health) to reduce inequalities in terms of access to support and outcomes.
- Map the locations of treatment services in relation to gambling venues to identify where more services are needed.
See also the report extended executive summary.
