The Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCP) has warned over a significant rise in the number of pensioners gambling online during the Covid-19 pandemic. It said that 624,377 more over 65s were gambling online at least once a month, with the proportion of pensioners gambling online rising from 8.7 per cent in the 12 months ending September 2019 to 13.5 per cent in 2021.
The RCP said that based on Gambling Commission data, the over 65s is the age group that saw the biggest increase in online gambling activity.
The number of people aged 45 to 54 who gambled online also increased significantly, while the number of 16 to 34-year-olds who gambled online actually fell by around 307,000.
However, the proportion of over-65s gambling at land-based outlets fell from 20.1 per cent in 2019 to 16.2 per cent in 2021.
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.
“Not everyone who gambles will develop a gambling disorder, but some will. Gambling disorder is an illness and, if left untreated, can lead to significant depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts.”
Meanwhile, the UK government has yet to publish its gambling white paper following its generational review of gambling legislation. Campaigners have complained about the delay to a process that began over a year ago.
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