The United Kingdom Gambling Commission (UKGC), which oversees gambling, has decided to step in to stem the tide of gambling-related harms.
The commission has decided to put in place groundbreaking approach towards comprehending the extent of the impacts to the British society. It has as a matter of fact released the published findings to the public.
This study was spearheaded by Dr. Heather Wardle, who heads the Responsible Gambling Strategy Board (RGSB). This is the body that provides independent advice to the United Kingdom Gambling Commission. The report was generated by a close partnership between The Responsible Gambling Strategy Board and the Gambling Commission. It was funded by the GambleAware.
In a nutshell, the report recommends that the manner in which the social costs of gambling-related harms may be gauged and better understood should be suggested.
To accomplish the purpose stated above, the report aims at:
- Settling on a universally accepted standard definition of gambling and attendant harms which may be adopted by public health officials and policymakers.
- Ascertain the manner in which the socioeconomic impacts of gambling and related harms may be better comprehended, monitored, and evaluated.
- Put in place a framework against which subsequent actions which finds out how the harms which may be felt by families, individuals and communities may be dealt with.
- Find out the best ways possible through which to estimate the social costs of gambling and related harms.
This is what Neil McArthur, the Gambling Commission Chief Executive, had to say,
‘Whereas most customers may enjoy gambling without any worries, we just cannot overlook the possible adverse effects the practice might inflict on certain communities, families, and individuals. This report demonstrates significant progress towards comprehending those negative side effects as well as gauging their possible impacts on the wider society and the entire economy.’
The lead author of the report, Dr. Heather Wardle, had this to comment:
‘This is a remarkable step towards understanding gambling. It is a far cry from the existing approaches in that it acknowledges gambling as being able to affect communities, families, and society over and above individuals only.’
GambleAware chief executive officer, Marc Etches, on the other hand, had this to say:
‘Problem gambling is undoubtedly a health concern. It has the abilities to inflict critical social and economic consequences to the individuals concerned as well as their families, communities, friends, and the society in totality. This is why this project is very significant. We urgently need to comprehend what gambling is, as well as its adverse knock-on effects to us.’
Over and above the objectives stated above, the initiative also aims at putting in place an effective framework which considers the possible impacts of gambling and related harms. This framework is to be extended to the families and communities wherein the gamblers reside. It even dares to gauge the overall costs of gambling in the entire society.
Neil McArthur, the Gambling Commission Chief Executive, further had this to say:
‘Significant progress towards understanding the possible side effects of gambling as well as measuring its adverse impacts on the entire British Society and the economy has already been reached. There is still a lot more to be done, though.’
very insightful, great post Craig, helpful to people who are addicted to gambling