An introduction to online gambling
- Addiction
- Mental health
Share this page
Gambling is an important public health concern, as problem gambling can be detrimental to psychological and physical wellbeing and is associated with harmful personal and societal costs in some people. It is estimated that 0.5% of the UK population gamble at problematic levels (Gambling Commission, 2020). This is estimated to cost the UK £1.27 billion annually, which is increasing (Thorley et al., 2016). National lockdowns have led to rises in gambling in some at-risk groups (e.g., members of the LGBTQ+ community).
This training will introduce what gambling is, including gambling-like activities that are not directly classified as gambling. It will introduce the landscape of gambling in the UK. This will include summarising the current legislation and introducing proposed changes to the UK gambling legislation following the recent white paper on reform to the Gambling Act 2005, published 27 April 2023. It will cover issues to be aware of in clients who may be gambling, available screening tools for clients who gamble, current support available for clients who feel they need help with their gambling (at all levels of gambling), and specific populations who are at high risk of problematic gambling.
Target Audience
The webinar is targeted at professionals at all stages of their career. It is most applicable to professionals who work in client-facing roles, including Forensic, Occupational, Clinical, Educational and Health Psychologists and trainees. There are no pre-requisites in terms of knowledge or experience with gambling required.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the webinar, participants will be able to:
- Describe the current landscape of gambling in the UK, including specific populations among whom there is a high incidence of gambling.
- Differentiate between what gambling is and what it is not.
- Describe key signs to look out for in clients who may be engaging in problematic gambling.
- Outline sources of support to which they can signpost individuals who report problematic gambling.
Presenter: Dr Emily Arden - Close
Dr Emily Arden-Close (Health Psychologist, full member of the Division of Health Psychology) is Principal Academic in Psychology at Bournemouth University. Her research, funded by GambleAware and the International Center for Responsible Gaming, USA, has included exploring experiences of individuals experiencing gambling related harm and developing and testing interventions to manage safer gambling. It has involved industry stakeholders and consumers and been presented to the public (ESRC Festival of Social Science, Café Scientifique) and industry stakeholders (Santander Bank). Dr Reece Bush-Evans, Lecturer in Psychology at Bournemouth University, has research interests in personality and gambling (funding: Academic Forum for the Study of Gambling), and the impact of gambling on the LGBTQ+ community (funding: Bournemouth University internal QR funds). The LGBTQ+ work was discussed at a thinktank on Gambling Research, Policy and Practice. Both researchers showcased their research at a Parliament reception on enabling safer gambling hosted by Carolyn Harris MP.
This webinar will be delivered on Zoom via BPS Learn. The link will be available on BPS Learn 24hr before, instructions will be sent out to all participants.
Cost
Price: £87.50 (+ VAT)
Members: £52.50 (+ VAT)
Register
Online bookings will close at 12:00pm on 12 November 2023.
Places won't be available after this point and only those registered will be allowed into the session
Already Registered?
Log in to BPS Learn and go to 'My courses'
If you have any questions, please email [email protected]