Public Health England, in a report released in September 2021, has quantified the costs of gambling to UK society.
Ten police departments in the UK are now routinely checking suspects for symptoms of gambling addiction, just as they do for drug and alcohol addiction, in an effort to better understand how the issue is contributing to crime. According to The Guardian, seven other units intend to adopt the practise this year.
Martin Armstrong of Statista notes that one of the many consequences associated with gambling in the UK is an anticipated £163 million in costs to the government as a result of criminal behaviour linked to the addiction, as quantified by Public Health England in a report released in September 2021.
However, when comparing the direct expenses to the government, the costs associated with criminality are vastly outweighed by the detrimental impacts of gambling on one’s physical and mental health.
The entire bill for society totals £961 million each year when the intangible costs experienced worldwide are taken into account.
When financial expenses (mostly connected to homelessness) and effects on employment and education are taken into account, the overall cost of harms associated with gambling is £1.3 billion annually.