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The association between gambling and financial, social and health outcomes in big financial data

Author

Listed:
  • Naomi Muggleton

    (University of Oxford
    Warwick Business School, University of Warwick
    Applied Science, Lloyds Banking Group)

  • Paula Parpart

    (Warwick Business School, University of Warwick
    Applied Science, Lloyds Banking Group
    University of Oxford)

  • Philip Newall

    (Warwick Manufacturing Group, University of Warwick
    School of Health, Medical and Applied Sciences, CQ University)

  • David Leake

    (Applied Science, Lloyds Banking Group)

  • John Gathergood

    (School of Economics, University of Nottingham)

  • Neil Stewart

    (Warwick Business School, University of Warwick)

Abstract

Gambling is an ordinary pastime for some people, but is associated with addiction and harmful outcomes for others. Evidence of these harms is limited to small-sample, cross-sectional self-reports, such as prevalence surveys. We examine the association between gambling as a proportion of monthly income and 31 financial, social and health outcomes using anonymous data provided by a UK retail bank, aggregated for up to 6.5 million individuals over up to 7 years. Gambling is associated with higher financial distress and lower financial inclusion and planning, and with negative lifestyle, health, well-being and leisure outcomes. Gambling is associated with higher rates of future unemployment and physical disability and, at the highest levels, with substantially increased mortality. Gambling is persistent over time, growing over the sample period, and has higher negative associations among the heaviest gamblers. Our findings inform the debate over the relationship between gambling and life experiences across the population.

Suggested Citation

  • Naomi Muggleton & Paula Parpart & Philip Newall & David Leake & John Gathergood & Neil Stewart, 2021. "The association between gambling and financial, social and health outcomes in big financial data," Nature Human Behaviour, Nature, vol. 5(3), pages 319-326, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nathum:v:5:y:2021:i:3:d:10.1038_s41562-020-01045-w
    DOI: 10.1038/s41562-020-01045-w
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    Cited by:

    1. Isaac Koomson & Sefa Awaworyi Churchill & Musharavati Ephraim Munyanyi, 2022. "Gambling and Financial Stress," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 163(1), pages 473-503, August.
    2. Kormanyos, Emily & Hanspal, Tobin & Hackethal, Andreas, 2023. "Do gamblers invest in lottery stocks?," SAFE Working Paper Series 373, Leibniz Institute for Financial Research SAFE, revised 2023.
    3. Newall, Philip Warren Stirling & Weiss-Cohen, Leonardo & Thoma, Volker & Ayton, Peter, 2022. "Differences amongst estimates of the UK problem gambling prevalence rate are partly due to a methodological artefact," OSF Preprints jtsz9, Center for Open Science.
    4. Ó Ceallaigh, Diarmaid & Timmons, Shane & Robertson, Deirdre & Lunn, Pete, 2023. "Measures of problem gambling, gambling behaviours and perceptions of gambling in Ireland," Research Series, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), number RS169, June.
    5. Whelan, Karl & Hegarty, Tadgh, 2023. "Disagreement and Market Structure in Betting Markets: Theory and Evidence from European Soccer," CEPR Discussion Papers 18144, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    6. Whelan, Karl, 2022. "US Taxation of Gambling Winnings and Incentives to Bet," CEPR Discussion Papers 17515, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.

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