There are well-recognised social and economic benefits associated with gambling, but these need to be weighed against the significant financial and social harms it can cause. In April 2026, a new NHS specialist gambling treatment service and helpline will launch in Wales.
This article provides an update to our 2022 article on a public health approach to gambling and sets out what further steps are needed to ensure those who need support know what is available to them, and how to access it.
Levels of gambling activity in Wales
Recent developments in the collection of data provide greater insight into gambling behaviour in Wales.
After several years in development, the Gambling Commission published its first Gambling Survey for Great Britain (GSGB) Annual Report in 2024. The Commission intends the survey to track trends over time and provide regular data outputs to help understand changes in gambling behaviour amongst the population and specific sub groups. Importantly, the GSGB includes disaggregated data for England, Scotland and Wales, improving understanding of gambling patterns at a national level.
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Data for 2024 shows that, in the past 12 months, 62% of people in Wales said they had gambled, compared to 60% in England and Scotland. |
Questions on gambling were first included in the 2020-21 National Survey for Wales as part of an online trial. In 2022-23, the National Survey asked people aged 18 and over about their gambling activities within the last 12 months. The survey found gambling is embedded in many people’s lives, with 63% saying they took part in some form of gambling.
Measuring the incidence of problem gambling
The data suggests that just over 6 in 10 people participate in some form of gambling activity. For many this isn’t a problem. However, for some individuals it develops into problem gambling, which can be disruptive or damaging to them, their family and friends, or interferes with their daily life.
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The Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI) is a nine-question tool used to measure gambling behaviour and its consequences. It scores individuals from 0 to 27 and classifies people as:
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Among people who had gambled in the past 12 months, the GSGB Annual Report found that 4.1% in Wales had a PGSI score of 8 or more, compared with 4.6% in England and 3.8% in Scotland.
As with other addictions, the impacts are often not just felt by the person gambling, but also by their families and friends. The GSGB 2024 Annual Report documented the adverse consequences from someone else’s gambling in the past 12 months – with 3.9% experiencing a relationship breakdown.
Despite these insights, Public Health Wales has expressed caution around the use of surveys which require people to self-report given the stigma associated with gambling behaviour. It also adds that gambling harm occurs on a continuum where even “low-risk” gamblers, which are much larger in number, may be starting to experience harm.
Unequal odds: gambling as an equality issue
Research by the National Centre for Social Research found higher rates of gambling-related harm among people experiencing homelessness, poverty, migration, drug use, ADHD, and mental health issues. These harms are often driven by factors such as coping with stress, loneliness, financial pressures, and gambling venues being perceived as inclusive spaces. Structural inequalities—such as poverty, discrimination, and social exclusion—exacerbate these harms. The study highlights an urgent need for more research and better support services tailored to these communities.
The GSGB 2024 Annual Report shows the proportion of participants with a PGSI score of 8 or more was highest among those living in the most deprived areas. In Wales, the proportion of participants with a PGSI score of 8 or more was 5.8% for those living in the most deprived areas compared to between 2.4 and 2.8% in the least deprived areas.
Links between gambling harm and suicide
The most serious potential consequence of gambling harm is suicide or suicide attempt(s), with the relationship between gambling and suicide the subject of recent research.
In November 2025, Swansea University published a study looking into whether gambling problems are linked to suicide. Using Welsh health records covering 30 years, it concluded that:
A gambling diagnosis was a stronger predictor of suicide than other mental health conditions, such as depression, schizophrenia or alcohol use – indicating gambling disorder poses a unique risk.
The study also found that those with a gambling diagnosis who died by suicide had more recent contact with mental health services compared to people without a diagnosis, indicating missed opportunities for earlier intervention. The researchers recommend better screening and recording of gambling-related problems in healthcare settings, and appropriate signposting to specialist support to help prevent suicide.
A new specialist treatment service in Wales
In February 2023, Public Health Wales published the Gambling Health Needs Assessment for Wales, which highlighted the absence of NHS-funded specialist gambling services in Wales. The report concluded that “there is a role for the NHS, both in the form of specialist treatment services and in the form of frontline healthcare professionals to identify potential harms from gambling and refer to appropriate services”. Following its publication, the then Deputy Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing, Lynne Neagle MS, said she was “considering the recommendations of the report, including what is needed to improve referral pathways and treatment services”.
In April 2025, the UK Government introduced the statutory gambling levy, applied to gambling operators. In its first year the levy has raised £120 million for research, prevention and treatment in Great Britain, aimed at reducing gambling-related harms. 50% of this funding will go to NHS England and the Scottish and Welsh Governments to “work with providers, including the third sector, to increase access to treatment and support for those experiencing gambling-related harm”.
In February 2026, the Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing, Sarah Murphy MS, announced a new NHS specialist gambling treatment service and helpline will launch in Wales in April. The helpline will provide support to anyone affected by gambling-related harms, including family members and others impacted. Where needed it will also refer people to treatment services which will be “accessible through a secure online platform, allowing support to be provided remotely”. Funding for the new service comes from the UK-wide gambling levy, with Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board awarded £1.3 million a year by the Welsh Government to run both the treatment service and helpline.
Next steps – ensuring people are aware of support
While the new service addresses long-standing calls for a NHS gambling treatment service in Wales, its ability to reach those who need support will depend on public awareness of the service. This could be done through a national awareness raising campaign, but often many people with gambling disorders struggle to recognise their gambling behaviour as a problem and may need encouragement and additional support to seek help.
In its 2023 report Public Health Wales recommended frontline healthcare professionals and police forces play a role in identifying potential harms from gambling and referring people to appropriate services. This was reiterated in NICE guidance, which recommends healthcare professionals and social care practitioners in all settings including the criminal justice system ask people about gambling and encourage them to seek help where needed.
While the new service has been described a ‘landmark moment’, its success will rely on health professionals and others being equipped and confident to help people access the support available.
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Anyone concerned about their gambling, or someone they know, can call NHS 111 and press OPTION 2. The National Gambling Helpline is available on 0808 8020 133 and operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. |
Article by Claire Thomas, Senedd Research, Welsh Parliament
