A new study published in the BMJ exposes how the UK gambling industry mirrors Big Tobacco’s tactics to downplay gambling industry harms. This strategy, designed to shape public perception and influence policy, helps the industry avoid stricter regulations while putting countless individuals and their families at risk.

The research was conducted by experts from leading institutions, including the University of Bath and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. It uncovered shared approaches between the tobacco and gambling industries. For example, both industries minimise the dangers of their products and exaggerate their social responsibility efforts. Moreover, they lobby aggressively against regulatory measures that could limit their activities, further highlighting the extent of gambling industry harms.

Dr. May van Schalkwyk, the study’s lead author, described the gambling industry as a “corporate vector of harm.” She emphasised the urgent need for stricter controls on marketing and influence. These measures aim to reduce the severe consequences of gambling addiction, including financial distress, family breakdown, and suicide.

Professor Anna Gilmore, a co-author of the study, noted the striking similarities between the gambling industry’s strategies and Big Tobacco’s historical methods. For decades, tobacco companies denied the health risks of smoking to protect profits. The gambling industry, she warned, is using the same deceptive playbook to undermine public health efforts and block necessary regulations.

The study draws attention to specific examples of these tactics. It draws a comparison between the tobacco industry’s infamous “Frank Statement” of 1954 and the gambling sector’s 2014 public denial of widespread gambling dangers. Both sought to mislead the public while preventing stronger regulation.

The authors called for urgent action. Their recommendations include stricter rules on gambling advertising and classifying the gambling sector as a harmful industry. They also suggest limiting its influence on policymaking and research. Without such measures, experts argue, the gambling industry will continue to prioritise profits over public health, leading to widespread harm.

Source: Medical X Press