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An economic and social review of gambling in Great Britain

Author: D. Forrest Published: June 2013
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Summary

This report by Professor David Forrest from the University of Salford, commissioned by GambleAware, reviews the economic and social impacts of gambling in Great Britain, focusing on evaluating the benefits and costs.

Topics covered

  • economic impacts of the gambling industry
  • consumption benefits and consumer surplus
  • from gambling social costs and harms from problem gambling

Key findings

The report found gambling provides substantial consumption benefits to recreational gamblers, but problem gambling also imposes costs on individuals and society.

The benefits are dispersed across many people while harms are concentrated amongst a smaller number of problem gamblers. Targeted interventions may help reduce harms without restricting choices for responsible gamblers.

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