Research on by IEA Head of Lifestyle Economics Christopher Snowdon has been referenced in an article in The Spectator criticising the government’s new gambling white paper.

The article was written by former IEA Associate Director Kate Andrews, who wrote:

“Checks on people’s background and income are so heavy-handed, they seem like the kinds of rules a government might usher in if the country suffered from a widespread gambling epidemic. But the UK doesn’t – not even close.

“A report from the IEA’s Christopher Snowdon in 2021 found that problem gambling has not budged since records began in 1999: not at 60 per cent, or 6 per cent – but in fact 0.6 per cent of the population. In the past two years, this number has fallen further, down to 0.3 per cent. Despite the UK developing one of the largest regulated gambling sectors, worth an estimated £14 billion, its number of problem gamblers remains well below the global average. This is in spite of all the digital changes (and easier access) to the industry in recent years.”

Read the full article here.

You can also read the report A safer bet: Gambling and the risks of overregulation here.