Ahead of Saturday’s double header of huge annual events, GambleAware has called for more action to be taken to alert gamblers of the crippling pitfalls that can follow making just one bet.
Over half of GambleAware’s respondents who have experienced harm through betting have struggled to quit due to the flood of gambling adverts, which often appear during high-profile events.
Out of the 20 men’s Premier League teams, 11 carry betting sponsors on the front of their shirts, further adding to the temptation for people who struggle.
However, from the 2026-27 season, this will be banned – although they can continue to be sponsored by the firms on their shirts’ sleeves.
Of the 2,000 gamblers surveyed by Nationwide, a tenth have tried to stop betting but have been drawn back in by either a sporting occasion or Eurovision.
How life insurance can benefit your health and wellbeing over the decades
Post Views:
Sponsored by Post Office
Over three-quarters (76%) of punters who bet will spend more at bookmakers on the singing contest and the FA Cup than they would last year, the mutual’s survey reveals.
Around £200m will be spent worldwide just on the song contest held in Basel, according to Oddschecker.
It comes at a time when over a quarter (28%) of gamblers hide their habit from loved ones, while a third (31%) said they first had a flutter under the legal age of 18.
Meanwhile, a study last year found that gambling issues in over-65s were being overlooked in favour of helping younger people, despite a third of adults of state pension age gambling regularly.
‘Support is available without judgement’
Kathryn Townsend, head of customer vulnerability at Nationwide, said: “Gambling on big events, such as the Eurovision song contest, can be seen as fun and sociable. Whilst most people gamble safely, it’s important that people know if they are struggling with gambling, support is available without judgement if they need it.”
Zoë Osmond, CEO of GambleAware, added: “Gambling harm is a serious public health issue [that] can affect anyone, even children. Not only can gambling affect people’s finances, but also their relationships and physical and mental health as well.
“We are seriously concerned about the normalisation of gambling for children through the frequent exposure to gambling advertising and marketing.
“This is why we are urging the introduction of mandatory health warnings on gambling advertising, to make it clear that gambling can be addictive and it can affect anyone. We are also calling for a ban on gambling advertising at sporting events and a ban on gambling advertising on TV and radio before the watershed to help protect people from harm.”
If you are concerned about your or a loved one’s gambling, GambleAware.org has advice available for a variety of different circumstances.
