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What can be done about problem gambling?

1st September 2017

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The issue of problem gambling imposes substantial negative externalities upon society - with the fixed odds betting terminals (FOBTs) a particular cause of concern.

The latest report, from charity Gamble Aware, highlights the fact that the addicted gambler is spending "an average of £98 a day, place up to 90 bets and are more likely to gamble in the middle of the night, according to a new report." Read this report from the Guardian.

However, regulating the sector will prove difficult and there's a distinct possibility of government failure - and libertarians object to any intervention in this market.

Links to tweets on relevant articles on problem gambling

Reining it in https://t.co/4fTsQGOD22
— BBC World Business (@BBCWorldBiz) August 31, 2017

New @PwC_UK research shows online gambling operators can spot customers at risk of problem gambling 'in the moment' https://t.co/oNmWXVv8ON pic.twitter.com/p4sIsyrsSc
— GambleAware (@gambleawaregb) August 30, 2017

Problem gambling at night worrying https://t.co/Il3pnMxWou #mentalhealth problems can cause insomnia, & we're all more impulsive w/o sleep
— Katie Alpin (@katie_alpin) August 30, 2017

430,000 people in UK had serious gambling problem in 2015, up from 280,000 in three years https://t.co/iKzPsvZXem but Treasury makes money!
— Paul Lewis (@paullewismoney) August 25, 2017

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Graham Watson

Graham Watson has taught Economics for over twenty years. He contributes to Tutor2U, reads voraciously and is interested in all aspects of Teaching and Learning.

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What can be done about problem gambling?

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