View source for Research Shows 600 000 OAPs Started Betting Online During Lockdown

Britain's pensioners risk becoming a generation of gambling addicts after more than half a million turned to online betting during the pandemic.<br>Research shows 625,000 over-65s took up gambling on the net during  - a greater jump than in any other age group.<br>Some 13.5 per cent of Britons who bet online are now over 65 - compared to 8.7 per cent in September 2019, a Royal College of Psychiatrists report reveals.<br>This surge in ‘silver surfers' taking up the potentially damaging habit coincided with lockdown, when high street betting shops were closed and isolated elderly residents spent more time online.<br>         Research shows 625,000 over-65s took up gambling on the net during lockdown - a greater jump than in any other age group (stock image) <br>The report, based on data from the Gambling Commission, found betting on the net has risen among all age groups in the two years since the pandemic began.<br>It said: ‘The shift to online gambling is partly due to the closure of physical betting shops during the pandemic as well as limited opportunities to undertake other activities because of lockdowns.<br>‘Online gambling brings potential risks due to its 24/7 availability, particularly when people are at home more and may be experiencing financial uncertainty.'<br>Some 12.1millon adults in England gambled online in 2020 - up 12 per cent from before the pandemic, latest data shows.<br>Analysis by the RCP found that the sharpest rise has been in the over-65s, followed by middle-aged adults, as many gamble online instead of in-person.<br>   RELATED ARTICLES              <br><br><br><br>Share this article<br>Share<br><br><br>Over the past two years some 341,445 people in the 45- to 54-year-old age range have taken up online betting, while the proportion placing bets in-person fell from 23 to 17.5 per cent.<br>Meanwhile, the number of 16- to 34-year-olds who gambled online fell by around 307,000 over the same period.<br>Professor Henrietta Bowden-Jones of the RCP said:  [http://66.29.153.233/ joinhoki] ‘The pandemic has shaken our lives in so many ways and these data show that many more older people are gambling online than were before the start of the pandemic.<br>‘Not everyone who gambles will develop a gambling disorder, but some will.<br><br>Gambling disorder is an illness and, if left untreated, can lead to significant depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts.'<br>         Professor Henrietta Bowden-Jones of the RCP said: ‘The pandemic has shaken our lives in so many ways and these data show that many more older people are gambling online than were before the start of the pandemic<br>Burcu Borysik, Head of Policy at Royal Society for Public Health said: ‘These latest figures from the Royal College of Psychiatrists represent a deeply concerning increase in online gambling activity.<br>'Online gambling is a hidden public health crisis, and it is especially worrying to see this increase is greatest in the over-65 age group, who are particularly likely to be socially isolated, and experience greater levels of gambling harm.<br>‘Sadly this news comes as no surprise.<br><br>We already know that the pandemic has led to increased at-home consumption of other potentially harmful products such as alcohol, a known risk-factor for harmful gambling activity.<br>'Mental health has also been severely impacted, which likewise dramatically increases the likelihood of harmful gambling activity.<br>‘To ensure that this worrying increase does not continue beyond the pandemic, the government must ensure legislation on online gambling is fit for purpose.<br><br>In particular, policies that address ease of access to online gambling, including: affordability checks, stake limits on online gambling products, and greater data sharing to identify [https://www.thesaurus.com/browse/at-risk%20gamblers at-risk gamblers] should be implemented. The upcoming Gambling Act Review represents a vital opportunity to address this.'<br>Since 2019 the NHS has included gambling disorder in its long-term plan and a number of clinics are available across the country to deliver treatment to anyone who needs it, including family members.<br>