Germany is facing a significant issue with gambling addiction, as 4.6 million adults in the central European nation have reported addiction according to the Federal Drugs Commission. It has been reported that 1.3 million adults in Germany have lives centred around gambling, spending an average of $800 per month on the habit. An additional 3.3 million people are also close to having gambling-dominated lives but are also reported to be balancing their habits with fuller lives simultaneously.

The commission’s report

The commission’s findings are based on data from 2021 and have also revealed that 30 percent of German adults gamble to some extent, with 7.7 percent facing financial, social, or health problems as a result. Young men, immigrants, individuals suffering from psychological disorders, and alcohol abusers are identified as most at risk of developing gambling problems. It was also reported that Germany’s gambling addicts often lose control, leading to increased bets, lying to conceal their addictions, and becoming isolated from their family and friends.

Gambling impact

Burkhard Blienert, head of the commission, has emphasised that gambling often leads to massive debts, strained relationships, and sacrifices in personal lives. In lieu of this, the commission has called for tighter restrictions on gambling during live sports events better regulation of television commercials and attempts to disguise gambling as fun games for young people. It has been suggested that this could be partially achieved by measures such as prohibiting advertisements after 11 pm.

Gambling in Germany

In 2021 alone, the German gambling industry recorded a gross annual revenue of $14.3 billion, contributing $5.6 billion in taxes, doubling that of the revenue from the alcohol industry.  However, despite these benefits, the 44.1 billion EUR spent on legal gambling in Germany during this period could have covered the cost of running the city of Berlin for the same amount of time.

SiGMA Eurasia

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