Gambling is easily accessible through mobile apps and betting shops, yet its risks are rarely discussed. When casual play turns harmful, silence often follows, making the issue harder to address. Despite awareness efforts and support services, stigma continues to surround problem gambling. According to a recent AskGamblers study conducted ahead of Safer Gambling Week 2025, many gamblers avoid speaking about their habits due to fear and shame. Held from 17–23 November, the cross-industry initiative encouraged open conversations across the UK. The study showed that many people remain reluctant to talk openly about gambling, highlighting the need for more honest dialogue to reduce stigma and support those affected.
Nearly half of British gamblers admit to downplaying their betting activity. This shows that while gambling is common, many feel the need to hide it. Many stay quiet not because they believe it is wrong, but because they worry about how others will react. This silence makes it harder to seek help when needed. Concealing habits often leads to stress, anxiety, and shame. When people feel unable to talk openly, problems build up and become harder to manage.
One in three UK bettors said they would rather lose money than ask for help, highlighting how seeking support is often seen as difficult. The study found that 32 percent feel uneasy about asking for betting advice, showing how hard it can be to start a conversation. One in ten bettors also admitted feeling embarrassed when asking for guidance, which can push people toward risky decisions based on guesswork instead of informed advice.
Admitting to losing money is difficult. For many, talking about gambling losses feels uncomfortable or shameful. Almost half of the surveyed players said they would only discuss gambling problems after going into debt, indicating that support is often pursued far too late. Around 24 percent of people said they would consider professional help after losing £100 in a week, illustrating how quickly gambling stress can build.
Speaking exclusively with SiGMA News, former Gordon Moody CEO Monica Shafaq shared her insights on why stigma around gambling addiction remains entrenched, why many people still avoid seeking help, and how regulators and operators can better protect vulnerable players in an increasingly digital gambling environment. Shafaq explained that gambling addiction continues to be one of the least understood forms of addiction, largely because its signs often remain hidden until a crisis emerges. Unlike alcohol or drug misuse, which shows clear physical or behavioural changes, gambling harm is easier to mask.
Shafaq said, “For many people, gambling is still framed as a personal choice rather than a public health issue. It’s seen as ‘a lack of control’ rather than a complex behavioural addiction driven by psychological, social, and environmental factors. There’s also a deep sense of shame attached to financial loss. Until society understands that gambling addiction is not a moral failing but a health issue, stigma will continue to be a barrier to early intervention.”
Reflecting on the AskGamblers study, Shafaq emphasises that people need emotionally safe environments long before they reach formal treatment. Community-level structures are essential to encouraging early disclosure. She pointed to the power of community-based approaches to reduce gambling harm by making support more accessible and relatable. Peer-led programmes and lived-experience groups help people open up and feel less isolated.
“Not everyone will go straight to a treatment provider, but they may talk to a General Practitioner, a coach, a community leader, or an employer.”
-Former Gordon Moody CEO Monica Shafaq
Embedding support in everyday spaces like workplaces, sports clubs, and community centres creates early opportunities for conversation. Tailored outreach ensures different cultural attitudes are respected, while sharing real stories helps individuals recognise problems sooner and encourages honest dialogue.
Shafaq explained, “People are far more likely to open up to someone who has walked the journey. Above all, we must focus on reducing shame. When people know they won’t be judged, they seek help sooner.”
With online gambling and advertising expanding rapidly, Shafaq stressed that regulators and operators must work together to build a safer digital ecosystem grounded in accountability. She highlighted the importance of using behavioural data for early intervention, enforcing more precise marketing boundaries.
Shafaq added, “Advertising should be designed with vulnerability in mind. This means reducing volume, removing high-risk triggers, limiting celebrity influence, and ensuring messages don’t blur entertainment with financial gain.”
Shafaq further noted that stronger digital protections like deposit limits, cooling-off periods, and exclusion systems should be standard and easy to access. Most importantly, collaboration between operators, regulators, charities, and lived-experience voices is essential, ensuring harm reduction is treated as a collective effort rather than a compliance exercise.
Shafaq concluded, “The best outcomes happen when operators, regulators, charities, and lived-experience voices work together rather than in silos. Harm reduction isn’t a tick-box exercise; it requires a whole-system approach where everyone plays their part. Ultimately, creating a safer environment is about designing a system that protects people by default, not only when they ask for help.”
By designing safety measures that activate by default rather than relying on players to seek them out, she believes the industry can substantially reduce preventable harm.
#SaferGambling #ResponsibleGaming #GamblingHarm #PublicHealth #UKGambling #PlayerProtection
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