Is gambling affecting your relationship? You’re not alone

The SCCR works towards reducing the number of young people presenting as homeless in Scotland by giving families and the professionals who work with them the tools to reduce conflict within the home before it gets to the stage a young person feels they must leave.

Conflict can be caused by a variety of reasons, from substance use to money to not feeling respected.

Another area that can cause harms is gambling, which is why we’re presenting a blog by Laura Mallis, Project Coordinator – Gambling Support Service at Citizens Advice Scotland.

My name is Laura and I work as Project Coordinator for the Gambling Support Service at Citizens Advice Scotland. Our project, funded by GambleAware, delivers training and awareness on ‘gambling harms’ to organisations and charities across Scotland.

Many people haven’t heard of gambling harms. When an individual experiences issues with their gambling, it can impact upon other areas of their lives too: they might spend more than they can afford on gambling activities, end up in debt or might not pay their bills and face eviction.

People go to counselling for several reasons. It could be to resolve relationship issues, family disagreements, support with stress or other mental health problems. People also visit their local Citizens Advice Bureau for advice on areas such as: problems with debt, housing, employment, discrimination or high energy bills. What many people probably don’t know is that gambling can often contribute to, or be the root cause of, many of these issues.

‘Affected Others’

If you imagine a person with a gambling issue, the first image which frequently comes to mind is a middle-aged man who goes to the bookmakers. However, we know that anyone can be affected by gambling harms, particularly in the digital age where gambling can be accessed online or via mobile phones by anybody, at any time of the day and from anywhere.

Gambling can have a ripple effect and impact upon the individual gambler’s family and friends too. These people are known as the ‘affected others’. Research has found that affected others are mainly women (YouGov 2020) and one survey estimated that seven percent of the UK population is negatively affected by someone else’s gambling. The wider impact of gambling harms on a person’s family and friends can include: emotional distress, mental ill health, separation, homelessness, an inability to afford food or rent, domestic abuse and it can also have a huge impact on children.

Help and Support

Tragically, some people who struggle with gambling take their own lives and the family only finds out afterwards, as the person may have felt too ashamed to tell their loved ones they had a problem. This is devastating for families and friends who lose someone they love and who they would have helped if they had known.

It might feel like you are alone or that there is no help for affected others, however there is support available for people who are impacted by their loved one’s gambling. You can contact the National Gambling Support Network for free, 24/7 on 0808 8020 133. You can also visit gambleaware.org where there are a range of tools and advice available.

Having issues with gambling can be really difficult for individuals, but it is also important to remember the wider impact this can have on families too. There is no shame in struggling with gambling or having a relative with a gambling issue. You are not alone.

If you are a parent or a carer and experiencing conflict at home, and you’d like help on how to reduce that conflict, click here to see SCCR’s advice.

If you are a young person and experiencing conflict at home, and you’d like help on how to reduce that conflict, click here to see SCCR’s advice.