Rates of problem gambling may be more than eight times higher than previously thought, according to new data released by the betting industry regulator.
The Gambling Commission has previously said the proportion of people suffering from a gambling problem may be as low as 0.3% of adults in Great Britain.
The figure, which was based on a telephone survey, has been latched on to by betting industry lobbyists as evidence that levels of harm associated with bookmakers and online casinos are relatively limited.
But on Thursday, the commission published “higher quality” figures, based on an updated methodology, that suggest that as many as 2.5% of the adult British population may be suffering from problem gambling.
That would equate to about…
