A national health survey revealed that more than half of people aged 16 or older in England gambled at some point during 2018. The survey also showed that millions of people weigh too much, drink too much alcohol, don’t eat property and fail to do enough exercise.
According to the Guardian, the survey showed that 53 percent of respondents gambled last year, which included buying a lottery ticket, with 56 percent of men reporting betting activity against 49 percent of women. While the figures have fallen in recent years, the chief executive of NHS England, Simon Stevens, issued a warning not to infer the problems that gambling presents had gone away
“The NHS never stands still as health needs change, which is why we’re rolling out new specialist services to tackle mental ill health linked to gambling addiction, as part of our long-term plan,” he said. “But it is high time that all these firms who spend millions on marketing and advertising step up to the plate and take their responsibilities seriously.”
In 2016, the Gambling Commission reported that 56 percent of adults aged 16 or older gambled, while 62 percent had done so the previous year. In 2012, the first year the issue was covered by the Health Survey for England, 68 percent of men and 61 percent of women participated in some form of wagering activity.
