Germany study claims 1.3 million suffer from a gambling disorder

Newly published research has claimed around 1.3 million people in Germany suffer from a gambling disorder amid calls for greater consumer protection measures.

The report, entitled the Gambling Atlas Germany 2023, was produced by experts from the Institute for Interdisciplinary Addiction and Drug Research and the Gambling Research Unit at the University of Bremen and drew on data compiled in 2021.

Headline findings from the data study include that 2.3% of the German adult population have a gambling disorder, with this figure translating to 7.7% of active gamblers.

The research noted that 30% of the population gambled in 2021, with this figure down from 55% in 2007.

The report also highlighted that four out of 10 land-based slot machine users have a gambling disorder.

It was found that young people and migrants are more likely to develop gambling disorders, while the social cost of addiction can amount to up to €7bn per year.

The research was financially supported by the Federal Ministry of Health.

Burkhard Blienert, federal government commissioner for addiction and drug issues, said there was an urgent need for more protection measures in the market.                                                     

He said: “We urgently need more effective measures against illegal slot machine and online gaming. And especially when it comes to sports betting, stricter limits should be placed on advertising as quickly as possible. 

“There simply has to be an end to the sports betting spots before, after and during sports reporting, even in the afternoon and early evening programmes. Nobody wants that, nobody needs that and nobody is good for it,” he added.

Blienert’s comments could be challenged by the German Sports Betting Association, which has repeatedly railed against gambling reform measures.

In May, the body fired back over Blienert’s calls for sports betting ad bans.