Understanding and Addressing Gambling-related Harms

Gambling-related harm remains largely invisible in clinical settings, often presenting as insomnia, anxiety, depression, relationship breakdown, or debt without the underlying cause being identified or addressed. Patients rarely mention gambling, and all too often, their doctors do not ask.

This practical, evidence-based guide equips general practitioners and the wider primary care team with the knowledge and tools to identify and manage gambling-related harm effectively. Understanding and Addressing Gambling-related Harms explores the full landscape of gambling harm across financial, emotional, relational, physical, and occupational domains, providing detailed information on prevalence, psychology, and pathways to harm. It offers practical strategies for brief and extended interventions, incorporates the latest NICE guidance (NG248, 2025), and reflects the rapidly evolving UK and international policy landscape. The book also documents the vital work of third-sector organisations at the front line of gambling harm support, from helpline staff and peer support groups to specialist counsellors and advisers.

An essential resource for general practitioners, primary care professionals, third-sector workers, and anyone supporting individuals affected by gambling, this book addresses a condition that has remained too long in the shadows of public health. It will also be of interest to policymakers, public health professionals, and researchers working in addiction, mental health, and social care.