The Gambling Industry

Abstract The gambling industry includes large, increasingly consolidated multinational companies, and although not historically considered an “unhealthy” product in the way tobacco or alcohol have been, gambling has significant health and social implications for both users and their families. A significant proportion of gambling-related public health research is industry-funded, as are most academic conferences, despite a clear conflict of interest. Operator business models have drawn criticism for relying on revenue from a small proportion of users consuming at high levels and for incentive schemes that use a variety of behavioral psychology tools to attempt to drive further use. As the online component of this industry grows, there is a need for a cohesive research agenda, informed by the evidence base in comparable industry sectors. This chapter describes the nature of the evidence base, the features of the gambling industry, and potential research and translational goals moving forward.