Compliance
Problem Gambling
Definition
Problem gambling is gambling that causes harm to the person who gambles or to the people around them, through its effects on finances, relationships, health or work, and that the person finds difficult to control. It sits on a spectrum. At the clinical end is gambling disorder, which is recognised in both the DSM-5 and the World Health Organization's ICD-11. The ICD-11 sets out three diagnostic requirements: impaired control over gambling, increasing priority given to gambling over other interests and daily activities, and continuing to gamble despite negative consequences.
In population research, problem gambling is measured with screening tools rather than diagnosed. The Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI), used in the Gambling Survey for Great Britain, scores nine questions from 0 to 27, and a score of 8 or more is classed as problem gambling. The WHO estimates that 1.2% of the world's adult population has a gambling disorder.
Key takeaways
- Problem gambling is gambling that harms the person or those around them and is hard to control; gambling disorder is its clinical form in DSM-5 and ICD-11.
- The ICD-11 describes three requirements: impaired control, increasing priority given to gambling, and continuing despite negative consequences.
- Surveys measure it with screens such as the PGSI, where a score of 8 or more out of 27 is classed as problem gambling.
- Harm also occurs well below clinical thresholds, which is why regulators expect operators to act on early signs, not only on severe cases.
Why it matters
Preventing gambling harm is the outcome most responsible gambling regulation is built around, and it shapes a large share of operator compliance work. Regulators increasingly expect operators to identify customers showing signs of harm, interact with them and act, rather than wait for a customer to ask for help. In Great Britain that means monitoring markers of harm such as rising spend, time played, late-night sessions and changes in deposit behaviour, and responding in proportion to the risk.
The WHO stresses that harm also occurs well below clinical thresholds, for example when money is diverted from essential household spending, and that harm reaches beyond the person gambling to family members and others close to them. Its fact sheet also cites research that people gambling at harmful levels generate around 60% of gambling losses, which is why regulators and investors scrutinise how dependent an operator's revenue is on customers at risk.
Language matters in this work. Clinical and research bodies describe people who experience problems rather than labelling them, and good practice in customer interaction follows that lead. Tools such as deposit limits, self-exclusion and referral to treatment services are part of the response. The Responsible Gambling course covers identification, interaction and safer gambling tools in depth.
Problem Gambling vs Responsible gambling
| Problem Gambling | Responsible gambling |
|---|---|
| The harm itself: gambling that damages the person or those around them and is hard to control, measured in research with screens such as the PGSI. | The policies, tools and duties that aim to prevent that harm, from deposit limits and self-exclusion to customer interaction and affordability checks. |
Responsible gambling programmes should be judged by whether they reduce problem gambling and wider harm, not by how many tools are offered.
The bottom line
Problem gambling is gambling that causes harm and is hard to control, with gambling disorder at its clinical end. For operators it is the outcome responsible gambling regulation exists to prevent, and regulators expect action on early signs of harm, not only on severe cases.
Sources
- Gambling: fact sheet - World Health Organization
- Problem gambling screens - Gambling Commission
- Help for problems with gambling - NHS
Frequently asked questions
What is problem gambling?
Problem gambling describes gambling that leads to harm, such as financial difficulty, relationship problems, stress or anxiety, and that a person finds hard to control. It ranges from moderate problems to gambling disorder, a recognised mental health condition. Harm can also affect family members and others close to the person gambling, even when they do not gamble themselves.
What is the difference between problem gambling and gambling disorder?
Gambling disorder is a clinical diagnosis described in the DSM-5 and ICD-11, made by a qualified professional against set criteria such as impaired control and continuing despite negative consequences. Problem gambling is a broader term, often used in research and policy, that covers people experiencing harm from gambling whether or not they would meet the diagnostic criteria.
How is problem gambling measured?
Population surveys use screening questionnaires. In Great Britain the Gambling Survey for Great Britain uses the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI): nine questions about the last 12 months, each scored from 0 to 3. Totals of 1 to 2 indicate low risk, 3 to 7 moderate risk, and 8 or more problem gambling. Screens estimate prevalence; they do not diagnose individuals.
Where can someone get help with problem gambling in Great Britain?
Free, confidential support is available. The National Gambling Helpline is open 24 hours a day on 0808 8020 133 in England and Scotland, or 0808 2819 265 in Wales. The NHS also provides information and specialist gambling treatment services, and GP practices can refer people for support. Operators should signpost these services clearly and make self-exclusion easy to use.