Games such as Omaze and McDonald’s Monopoly ‘are normalising gambling’, charity warns
Warning issued over McDonald’s Monopoly following its return
- GambleAware has warned that prize draws such as Omaze and McDonald's Monopoly are normalising gambling, particularly among children and young people, despite not being regulated as licensed gambling.
- The charity's latest data indicates that 27 per cent of participants in these prize draws are estimated to be at risk of gambling-related problems.
- Demand for treatment and support for gambling problems has nearly doubled since 2020, with the proportion of adults experiencing problem gambling rising from 2.4 per cent to 3.8 per cent in 2024.
- GambleAware highlighted that an estimated 4.3 million adults are affected by a family or friend's gambling, and around two million children may live in households with an adult experiencing problem gambling.
- The charity is calling for urgent preventative measures, including tougher regulation of gambling advertising, mandatory health warnings, and a ban on promotion in sports venues, a stance supported by widespread public opinion.