Swansea University recently concluded that its findings on gambling and wellness in the Royal Air Force are “sufficient to imply” that gambling may be an issue inside the RAF, although it affects only a fraction of the serving community. 

Growing Gambling Problem Within RAF

The study, conducted in cooperation with the RAF Benevolent Fund and dubbed the “first-of-its-kind,” surveyed more than 2,000 serving members of the RAF, with 2% being diagnosed with problem gambling.

According to the university’s findings, RAF personnel are “more likely than the general community to develop gambling issues,” while also revealing that 67.9 percent of individuals who answered to the university’s study gambled in some capacity in the preceding year. 84.4 percent of those who gambled in the previous year reported having no gambling problems, 9.8 percent indicated low risk, 3.9 percent indicated moderate risk, and 2% had PGSI scores indicative of problem gambling.

The RAF Benevolent Fund made several critical recommendations regarding the findings, including raising awareness among serving members about gambling and associated difficulties. Moreover, it advocates for increased screening to identify gambling problems associated with specific risk factors within the RAF, additional training and education, additional research, and a review of the findings and their relevance to their people by the Ministry of Defence.

The National Lottery was the most popular form of gambling, with 76.3 percent of respondents, other lotteries with 35.5%, scratch cards with 30.5%, and internet betting with 23.7%. Additionally, RAF troops reported engaging in cryptocurrency gambling, online role-playing games, and television, radio, and magazine competitions.

Professor Simon Dymond of the School of Psychology and the study’s primary investigator stated: “This internationally significant, large-scale study demonstrates for the first time that serving members of the Royal Air Force are prone to gambling-related harm.

“It is critical that we follow up on this finding with targeted assistance and support, including the early detection of possible gambling-related problems among currently serving troops from all services.”

Risk of Gambling Among Young Personnel  

Dr. Amy Pritchard of Swansea University’s School of Psychology performed the research, revealing an association between gambling difficulties and broader wellness issues such as alcohol consumption and mental health.

Male, aged 18-24, and non-commissioned rank were all risk factors for developing problem gambling in the RAF.

“We are committed to providing appropriate assistance to the serving RAF community, and this research will help guide our mental wellness services going forward,” added Air Vice-Marshal Chris Elliot, controller of the RAF Benevolent Fund.

In the paper, Anna Hemmings, CEO of GamCare, claimed that the findings “reinforce” that gambling damages can be frequent in young males, among underserved populations, and at a “notable level of harm” classified as low- or moderate risk.

“GamCare applauds the RAF Benevolent Fund and Swansea University for their investigation, which gives critical evidence-based insight into how gaming can affect the RAF Family,” she added.

“Because gambling harm is unique to each individual and community, the insights revealed by this research are extremely significant. This pushes us to guarantee that high levels of awareness and support for gambling harm are encouraged, especially in cases where harm is not immediately apparent. That help is tailored to the needs of specific groups of people.”