Problem gambling treatment programs in the UK have enabled 60% of gamblers to shed their ‘problem’ designation by the end of treatment.

A new report by the UK’s industry-funded GambleAware charity showed the effects on over 9k individuals who made use of the new National Gambling Treatment Service (NGTS), a network of organizations set up last year to offer confidential treatment and support for individuals suffering from gambling harm.

Of the clients who completed treatment between April 2019 and March 2020, 90% showed improvement on the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI) scale. Even better, of the individuals who qualified as problem gamblers under the PGSI, 60% no longer qualified for that designation by the end of treatment, which averaged around eight weeks in duration.

The vast majority (86%) of individuals who finished their treatment also reduced their CORE-10 score (which measures psychological distress). Even those who ended their treatment early posted better CORE-10 scores, with nearly three-quarters ranking below the threshold of ‘moderate’ distress.