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Earlier this evening, BBC Radio Lincolnshire aired a significant section of the All Bets Are Off podcast episode that focused on gambling harm among the student population that we released at the start of season two back in September. In 2016 over 14,000 students enrolled at Lincoln University, and some are struggling with gambling, and many more will be low-risk gamblers. Seeing that I have an obvious affinity with the area, as that’s where I was born, I figured I would take advantage of BBC Upload, a service that enables content producers like us to share creations with an audience. If this share helped just one person, then it was well worth it. Click here to listen to the full episode: Gambling Harm Among The Student Population

Seeing as though I’m obviously not busy working and co-hosting the All Bets Are Off podcast… I thought I would go ahead and gate crash another one instead! ALL IN: The Addicted Gambler’s Podcast is hosted by American duo Brian Hatch and Jeff Wasserman. The former appeared on our Stateside Special just a couple of weeks ago. It took a little while to make the cut as I don’t feature until episode number 152. In all seriousness, though, these chaps are veterans of the gambling addiction recovery podcast world, and people like myself and the rest of the All Bets Are Off team admire them both greatly. It was an honour to have been asked to appear. They’ve recently announced that they are now being sponsored by Gamban as well - which is just brilliant news. Keep up the great work, guys! You can listen to the full episode by clicking here.

This afternoon I appeared on Voice of Islam Radio’s ‘Drive Time’ show hosted by Tahir Khalid and Talib Man. Cross addiction is the common phenomenon of a person being addicted to two or more substances or harmful behaviours. Given that I am both a recovering alcoholic and disordered gambler, I was invited onto the show to share my experiences of both addictions and subsequent recovery journeys – and how religion and faith can play an integral role in recovery and your mental health in general. Click here to listen to the full episode, or check out the eight-minute section that I appeared in via the video below. For more information on Voice of Islam, please go and check out their website www.voiceofislam.co.uk. Click here to listen to the full episode.

A huge thanks to John Cossee (Twitter - @JohnCossee) for asking me to participate in this news piece about the realities of gambling addiction in lockdown. It’s always a privilege to be asked to share my experiences, and the way John pulled this together is fantastic. Also, listen out for Ray Gritt, who also takes part. Ray is the husband of our very own Angel of the North Tracey. Click here to watch on YouTube.

Research since 2007, commissioned by the Gambling Commission, has repeatedly and consistently indicated that gambling disorder disproportionately affects 16-24-year-olds, males, and individuals of minority ethnic backgrounds. Prevalence of gambling - any gambling activity in the past year % (regular, at least monthly, gambling %) The last gold-standard prevalence survey, BGPS 2010 showed that past-year gambling prevalence is significantly less common amongst ethnic minority groups than in white ethnic groups. White/White British: 76% (56%) Black/Black British: 41% (29%) Asian/Asian British: 52% (37%) Other ethnic groups: 53% (34%) Prevalence of gambling harm from own gambling by ethnic group The BGPS 2010 also showed that more than 1 in 10 adults (16+) from ethnic minority backgrounds suffered gambling harm from their gambling in the past year. White/White British: Low-risk harm: 5.5%, Moderate-risk harm: 1.5%, Gambling Disorder harm: 0.8% = 7.8% 1 in 7 White/White British individuals who gambled in the past year suffered gambling-harm Black/Black British: Low-risk harm: 7.8%, Moderate-risk harm: 4.8%, Gambling Disorder harm: 1.5% = 14.1% 1 in 3 Black/Black British individuals who gambled in the past year suffered gambling-harm Asian/Asian British: Low-risk harm: 3.7%, Moderate-risk harm: 3.6%, Gambling Disorder harm: 2.8% = 10.1% 1 in 5 Asian/Asian British individuals who gambled in the past year suffered gambling-harm Other ethnic group: Low-risk harm: 7.2%, Moderate-risk harm: 5.0%, Gambling Disorder harm: 0.8% = 13.0% 1 in 4 Other ethnic group individuals who gambled in the past year suffered gambling-harm Prevalence of gambling disorder in Great Britain by ethnicity and by religion The most recent gold-standard gambling prevalence surveys, BGPS 2007 and BGPS 2010, found that Asian and Black ethnic groups were disproportionately affected by gambling disorders. In 2012, the NHS Survey Data found this relationship again and a significant relationship for 'other' ethnic groups. The studies' primary limitation is the small sample sizes of people from minority backgrounds; hence, the estimates lack precision. British Gambling Prevalence Survey (BGPS) (gold-standard) BGPS 2007 (According to DSM-IV) White: 0.5% (Odds ratio: 1, n=7724) Asian or Asian British: 1.4% (Odds ratio: 3.55, n=263) Black or Black British: 2.0% (Odds ratio: 3.80, n=171) Other: 2.2% (Odds ratio: 2.86, n=192) BGPS 2010 (According to DSM-IV) White: 0.8% (Odds ratio: 1, n=7073) Asian or Asian British: 2.8% (Odds ratio: 3.06, n=308) Black or Black British: 1.5% (Odds ratio: 1.72, n=202) Other: 0.8% (Odds ratio: 0.60, n=151) Self-completion forms included as part of a broader health survey (replaces BGPS after 2010 and a 50% decrease in research funding at the Gambling Commission) Gambling behaviour in England and Scotland: Findings from the Health Survey for England 2012 and Scottish Health Survey (According to either DSM-IV or PGSI) Ethnicity White: 0.4% (Odds ratio: 1, n=10132) Black/Black British: 2.5% (Odds ratio: 7.37, n=178) Asian/Asian British: 2.4% (Odds ratio: 5.02, n=452) Mixed: Other: 2.2% (Odds ratio: 6.86, n=136) Religion No religion: 0.5% (n=3626) Christian - Catholic: 0.6% (n=1846) Christian - other denominations: 0.3% (n=4787) Muslim: 0.8% (n=240) Any other religion: 3.4% (n=329) Gambling behaviour in England and Scotland: Findings from the Health Survey for England 2015 and Scottish Health Survey (According to either DSM-IV or PGSI) White: 0.7% (n=14013) Black/Black British: 1.0% (n=221) Asian/Asian British: 1.5% (n=458) Other: 3.3% (n=217) Gambling behaviour in England and Scotland: Findings from the Health Survey for England 2016 and Scottish Health Survey (According to either DSM-IV or PGSI) White: 0.6% (n=9850) Black/Black British: 2.8% (n=188) Asian/Asian British: 0.4% (n=462) Other: 1.2% (n=191) YouGov Online 2020 Gambling among adults from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities: a secondary data analysis of the Gambling Treatment and Support study White Low-risk harm: 7.2% + Moderate-risk harm: 3.0% + Gambling disorder harm: 2.2% = 12.4% Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Low-risk harm: 7.6% + Moderate-risk harm: 5.6% + Gambling disorder harm: 7.2% = 20.2% In summary, odds ratios are available from BGPS 2007, BGPS 2010, and Health Survey 2012 and are the following for minority ethnic groups: 0.60, 1.72, 2.86, 3.06, 3.55, 3.80, 5.02, 6.86, 7.37. Mean, μ:3.87. Standard Deviation, σ: 2.09. Median = 3.55. Hence, we estimate that ethnic minority populations are between 3 to 5 times more likely to suffer from a gambling disorder relative to white populations. Black, Asian, and other ethnic minority populations account for 12% of England and Wales's population. However, according to previously existing odds ratio analysis in three studies, Black, Asian, and other ethnic minority populations account for 31% (BGPS 2007), 17% (BGPS 2010), and 47% (NHS Survey 2012) of all individuals in the population with gambling disorder. As well as the effect of small sample sizes, these estimates are likely to be affected by cultural stigma, pride, mental health, health awareness, and other factors related to health inequality that may impact ethnic minority populations differently. Factors towards gambling 'Coping', 'Recreation' & 'Money' The British Gambling Prevalence Survey in 2010 is the only study in Britain to have explored the different factors that motivate an individual to gamble. In this research, significant differences were seen between ethnic minority and White groups, and particularly on the factors of ‘coping,’ ‘recreation,’ and ‘money.’ The ethnic minority groups identified coping as a motivator more strongly than the low-risk harm group and White ethnic groups Coping no gambling-harm: -0.07 White/White British: 0.01 low-risk harm: 0.29 Asian/Asian British: 0.44 Black/Black British: 0.52 Other ethnic groups: 0.54 moderate-risk harm: 1.32 gambling disorder harm: 2.40 Asian and Black groups were less motivated towards gambling for recreation purposes relative to other groups Recreation Asian/Asian British: -0.13 Black/Black British: -0.15 no gambling-harm: 0.06 White/White British: 0.12 Other ethnic groups: 0.14 low-risk harm: 0.41 moderate-risk harm: 0.51 gambling disorder harm: 0.51 Black groups were more likely to be motivated towards gambling to make money or gambling for the chance of winning big money when compared to others Money Other ethnic groups: -0.15 low-risk harm: 0.16 no gambling-harm: 0.17 White/White British: 0.17 moderate-risk harm: 0.17 Asian/Asian British: 0.22 gambling disorder harm: 0.34 gambling disorder harm: 0.34 Black/Black British: 0.53 As well as differences in attitudes, there are other factors such as the locations of betting shops, that lead to a disproportionately negative effect of gambling harm in ethnic minority communities. Betting shops in England and Wales are in postcode districts where the population is on average, disproportionately composed of individuals from minority ethnic groups. In postcode districts where there are 10 or more betting shops, the population is even more disproportionately composed of all minority ethnic groups except for those under other. Furthermore, the locations of 6518 betting shops in England are overwhelmingly in deprived areas, according to 2019 Office for National Statistics Deprivation data. Other factors (odds ratios) Qualitative perspectives from the GambleAware/Clearview Research study Cultural stigma “... in our culture or community, gambling has a bad reputation, and so if you gamble, you have a bad name.” “... yeah, our community is harsh… people have harsh opinions about people… so if you are doing anything that is seen as bad, you are seen are bad.” “Yeah, people don’t speak a thing about gambling.” “All the bookies are in the hood, and you see a lot of yardies (translation: Jamaicans) in them.” Health awareness “…like on the packages, it says smoking kills, so you know what you are getting into, but I don’t see anything like that with gambling at all.” “Oh yeah, it’s treated different; even when it becomes a problem - for white people, it’s like ‘they need help’ whereas, for us, it’s treated like it’s a sickness.” “Black and Asian communities they are more strict about gambling, and they think it’s a mental illness.” Getting help None of the 65 participants confidently knew where to get help. One participant whose gambling had become a problem stated that “No, I didn’t know at all… my mental health suffered, I was in 15 grand of debt… I was in a bad place, man.” Nearly nine in 10 (89%) participants said there is a difference between how gambling is seen in ethnic and white cultures. Reasons for gambling “I feel like Black people see gambling as a glimpse of a way out, but for white people, it just for bants.” “White people go into the bookies for banter, whereas people from my culture go to actually make money.” Conclusions Gambling harm is more prevalent and is likely to have a worse impact on those from a minority ethnic background, and this is in part due to differences in cultural attitudes, stigma, and health awareness Furthermore, this is worsened by betting shops being overwhelmingly crammed into areas where there are higher percentages of ethnic minority individuals and in areas of deprivation We estimate that ethnic minority populations are between 3 to 5 times more likely to suffer from a gambling disorder relative to white populations Education professionals and treatment providers should look to rapidly develop and expand consideration for gambling harm in ethnic minority communities At present, gambling harm is a neglected race and equality issue that has and is likely to further inequalities Appendix Map of betting shops in GB Define vulnerable person The Commission does not seek to define ‘vulnerable persons,’ but it does, for regulatory purposes, assume that this group includes people who gamble more than they want to, people who gamble beyond their means and, people who may not be able to make informed or balanced decisions about gambling due to, for example, mental health, a learning disability, or substance misuse relating to alcohol or drugs "If you are targeting vulnerable people, who will become addicted, then it is immoral." - Young BAME perspective

Upon reflecting on my experiences as an affected other of gambling-harm, one of my biggest frustrations is that once upon a time, I knew nothing about gambling harm and anything about it from a health perspective. These are words that I had never even heard of before the age of 23. For those of you who may not know, this is extremely odd considering that I had spent almost 16 years of my life with someone suffering from a gambling disorder. Despite attending health appointments with my Dad, gambling was never mentioned by either my Dad or the healthcare professionals. Across four years at Imperial College Medical School, gambling was never mentioned across lectures or clinical placements. Although this is hardly surprising considering how gambling has only recently been recognised as a public health issue, I still find it hard to believe, considering the significance of gambling harm. When I first started this journey of talking about gambling harm, I met far too many future doctors or current doctors who knew nothing about gambling harm. In fact, many shrugged their shoulders and said that they had not been taught about gambling harm. Whereas Medical Students are repeatedly taught about alcohol harm and tobacco harm and even get substantial teaching about substance use disorders, we receive zilch on gambling harm. That's why I was extremely pleased to work with my Medical School to help create primary care teaching on gambling-harm for Medical Students. It's minimally reasonable that GPs and other healthcare professionals are appropriately trained such that they are equipped to be a part of alleviating and minimising gambling harm.

https://kellysredcardconsultancy.co.uk/ On September 30th 2020, Gambling Harm UK worked on their first awareness and education workshop alongside Red Card Consultancy Project

Having only just got back home from a gruelling 130 miles walking in five days, I had hoped to relax a little. However, when the opportunity came up to talk about my story on BBC Radio Berkshire’s lunchtime show, I couldn’t resist. If just one person out there finds me relatable then I have done my job – it could even save a life. During this comprehensive interview we talked about my experience as a gambling addict, how I found recovery earlier this year, and some bits about the formation of The All Bets Are Off podcast and the work we do on there.

Day four of The Big Step is more media, and it doesn’t really get much bigger than the BBC Breakfast News. One has to say that James Grimes has done an excellent job of drawing attention to this campaign. This particular piece was recorded the evening before the start of the event, at a time in which I was feeling much fresher than I am today, that’s for sure. When I got to the hotel last night, I was in absolute agony and didn’t think that I would be out here walking again. However, seeing the faces of so many ‘Experts by Experience’ has really perked me up and kept me going, and they are the primary reason I am chugging along to Leicester. The reaction that we’ve had to this particular video which features James, Steve Ramsey, and I, has been phenomenal. During the recording, I got rather emotional (as the clip clearly shows) when reflecting on those dark times. But those difficult moments have made me the person I am today, someone that I am slowly learning to love and accept.

It’s day one of The Big Step, and I’m approximately 20 miles in, and Lincs FM has just put out a news story that ‘a Lincoln man is fighting for the government to end all gambling sponsorship, advertising, and promotion in football.’ That ‘Lincoln man’ would be me. Although I’ve been living down south for the past dozen or so years, ultimately, I am a yellowbelly and proud. As a child, I actually had a tour of the Lincs FM studio on a school trip. Being so young and innocent back then, I certainly never envisaged some 20 years or so later that I would be part of a feature talking about my life as a gambling addict. Whilst I am a proud Lincolnite, I am even prouder to be in recovery and walking alongside my peers who have been impacted by gambling addiction either directly or as an affected other. Together, we fight to end gambling advertising and sponsorship in football. Make sure you sign The Big Step’s petition by clicking here and following the process.

I had listened to The Happiness Algorithm myself on numerous occasions, so when James Roast approached me to come on, I was chuffed. I got the opportunity to talk in-depth about my life from childhood to now and its challenges. The biggest challenge being myself. I talked about alcoholism, how that lead to gambling addiction, and dark times. I also spoke about the good times. Recovery, learning to share my emotions and the beauty in vulnerability. Click here to listen to the full episode.

Callum Room (Twitter - @CallumRSport) got in touch during the first Covid-19 lockdown, having listened to the All Bets Are Off podcast. He was interested in writing an article about gambling-related harm and what the return of football might mean. I shared my addiction and recovery experiences, including starting the All Bets Are Off Podcast with Ryan, Kish, and Kelly back then. Then I spoke about gambling in football, how it is so normal now, and the ultimate risk, suicide! Click here to read more.