Study reveals LGBTQ community face greater gambling harms

A new study by Bournemouth University (BU) highlights that LGBT communities may experience disproportionately higher gambling-related harms, alongside distinct barriers to accessing support.  

The study invited 31 LGBT individuals between 20 and 59 years in the UK with experience of online gambling to take part in semi-structured interviews exploring their gambling behaviours, harms, and experiences of support services. The findings identified three interconnected themes that shaped participants’ lived experiences of gambling: the use of gambling as a coping mechanism, experiences of discrimination and limited representation within gambling environments; and perceptions that gambling-related support services are not sufficiently tailored to sexuality and gender-related needs. 

Gambling is a recognised public health issue that can cause significant harm to individuals, families and communities. Gambling-related harms associated range from financial losses to more severe and long-lasting consequences, including debt, crime, homelessness, and suicide. Growing evidence indicates that these harms are shaped by broader social and structural inequalities.  

Dr Reece Bush-Evans, Senior Lecturer in Psychology at BU, who led the study said: “Participants described using gambling to manage distress linked to the psychological burden of marginalisation. What stood out was the persistence of barriers to gambling support services related to sexuality and gender minority status, including fears of bias, limited representation, and a lack of support that reflects specific sexuality- and gender-related needs” 

Participants described gambling as a way of coping with everyday discrimination and minority stress. One participant said: “Life is harder when you’re the minority. It’s always on your mind. Even if it’s not, there is discrimination that’s not necessarily supposed to be hurtful. But it can be. So, you go home and switch off. Rather than thinking about what they said, it’s easier to gamble. You’re just thinking about the gambling and the free spins” 

Several participants highlighted a lack of familial support and limited broader social connections, which intensified feelings of isolation and made gambling more appealing as a source of comfort, control, or distraction. One participant explained: “If people don’t have a good support network sometimes it’s easier to seek support in the wrong places.” 

Other participants described using gambling to avoid confronting their LGBT identity, particularly during periods of uncertainty or distress related to sexuality of gender identity. One participant said: “I really struggled with the thought of being gay. Gambling was an escape. Being on my own and doing something like that and having praise was a way of escaping from thinking about being gay.” 

The study also highlights ongoing challenges in accessing tailored gambling-related support services. Participants reported fears of judgement, discrimination, and a lack of cultural understanding within services. One participant said: “There are always people that are going to be critical if they are aware of someone’s sexuality or if they are transgender. If it’s evident, if it’s clear that they are transgender to them without explicitly telling them, they might get different treatment.” 

Others added: “I’ve not sought help because it’s not geared towards people who are gay. The services, I would just assume they are more geared towards straight men that have got a problem. I just wouldn’t use them.” 

“I would feel happier knowing that it was a service tailored to LGBT because then you can be 100% open from the get-go and not worry about judgement.” 

Participants also perceived high street gambling environments, such as betting shops and casinos, as unwelcoming or discriminatory, leading many to engage primarily with online gambling itself.  

Reflecting on the findings, Dr Bush-Evans said: “Our findings show that some LGBTQIA+ individuals face persistent barriers to gambling-related support that are rooted in systemic exclusion across both gambling environments and service structures. Taken together, these findings highlight the need for more inclusive and culturally competent gambling support, including improved staff training, visible inclusive signalling, and closer collaboration with LGBTQIA+ communities to ensure services are accessible, affirming, and responsible to diverse needs.” 

Research which was funded by the Bristol Hub for Gambling Harms Research led to the study calling for recommendations including a need for more identity-affirming, culturally competent support that recognises the specific challenges faced by LGBT individuals. It emphasises the need for future research and policy to centre these perspectives to ensure gambling harm interventions are inclusive and effective.  

For further information about the Psychology courses available, please visit the BU website. 

Anyone concerned about how gambling makes them feel can search GambleAware for advice, tools and support, or call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133