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UKStudy Finds First Responders Face Elevated Gambling Addiction Risk
Key Highlights
- Nearly half of firefighters surveyed met the study’s criteria for problem gambling.
- PTSD symptoms, poor mental health, and workplace factors were linked with increased gambling-related harm.
- Researchers called for gambling screening, education, and prevention programs tailored to first responders.
A new study from the Kindbridge Research Institute (KRI) suggests first responders may face an elevated risk of developing gambling problems.
Study Identifies Significant Gambling Risk
KRI’s study, funded via a grant from the Colorado Division of Gaming, involved more than 500 firefighters, police officers, paramedics, emergency medical technicians, and rescue personnel. Nearly 95% of the respondents admitted to gambling during the previous 12 months, while 44% of those players met the criteria for problem gambling. The study’s findings align with the broader gambling addiction search trends.
Firefighters showed the highest level of risk among the occupational groups studied. Nearly half, or 49%, met the criteria for problem gambling. There are nine behavioral indicators for signs of problem gambling, including risked relationship/career, withdrawal, and concealment. Researchers also identified a relationship between routinely working in high-risk environments and a greater willingness to take financial risks through gambling.
Mental Health & Workplace Factors Play a Role
The KRI study found that gambling-related harm was closely connected with mental health and trauma. Participants reporting higher levels of PTSD symptoms also tended to experience greater gambling harm, while poorer overall mental health was associated with increased problem-gambling risk. These findings suggest gambling behavior may be tied to the wider pressures first responders experience on the job.
Workplace conditions may also influence gambling habits differently across first-responder professions. The study’s authors pointed to factors including shift schedules, periods of downtime, workplace structure, and team culture as possible influences on when and why employees gamble. Different occupational groups, consequently, reported varying levels of gambling participation and related risk.
Researchers Call for More Targeted Support
The report recommends incorporating gambling screening into mental health and employee wellness programs already available to first responders. Researchers also proposed responsible gambling education and prevention initiatives designed around the specific working conditions of different first-responder roles. Earlier identification could help organizations address gambling-related harm before problems become more severe.
KRI also encouraged greater cooperation among employers, unions, first-responder organizations, mental health professionals, regulators, and responsible gaming groups. The report’s authors argue that gambling should be considered alongside other behavioral-health challenges affecting first responders.
“First responders operate in environments defined by repeated exposure to trauma, high responsibility, and unpredictable stress,” said Mark Lucia, KRI’s director of programming. “While substantial attention has been given to conditions such as PTSD and burnout, gambling has remained largely under-explored.”
