New tools to help neurodivergent gamblers, including autistic & ADHD
UK-based charity GambleAware has released a set of specialist tools aimed at helping therapists and frontline practitioners better support neurodivergent people experiencing gambling harms, following research published last year, which suggests some groups, particularly autistic people and those with ADHD, face elevated risks.
The charity’s report brings together findings from a multi-year research programme involving IFF Research, academics from the University of Bristol and UCL, and lived-experience contributors. It highlights how neurodivergent people can be drawn into gambling for reasons that differ from the wider population and how they often struggle to access help when problems emerge.
“Characteristics of neurodivergence like impulsivity, hyperfocus, social difficulties, and a need for stimulation drive gambling behaviour and increase harms, while stigma, shame, and lack of tailored support further isolate neurodivergent people and make it harder for them to seek help,” GambleAware chief executive Anna Hargrave said in the charity’s announcement.
The research finds that while neurodivergent people do not necessarily gamble more often than others, many experience greater harm when they do. Analysis from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), included in GambleAware’s evidence mapping, indicates that people with ADHD or autistic traits were “twice as likely” as their peers to experience negative consequences from gambling.
Evidence shows elevated harm despite similar gambling frequency
The report notes that gambling frequency among neurodivergent and neurotypical groups does not consistently differ. In several age groups, ALSPAC participants with ADHD or autism gambled more frequently at ages 17 and 20, but were less likely to gamble regularly at 24 and 30.
Despite this inconsistency, the underlying harms were markedly higher. The ALSPAC data shows strong associations between ADHD and elevated Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI) scores, with people with ADHD showing “probability of experiencing negative consequences… twice as high” as those without the condition. Similar patterns were seen for autistic participants.
The report identifies several traits that may contribute to this heightened vulnerability, including impulsivity, challenges in risk assessment, sensory sensitivities, and the use of gambling as a tool for managing overwhelming emotions.
One contributor, Paul Nash, who has lived experience of gambling harm, said: “When you’re autistic, having a routine is important, and for me, gambling was about having a routine… each day I would gamble so I felt that I needed to continue doing that. It was also a fixation of associating my favourite hobby, sport, with making money.”
Barriers to support persist
The new report stresses that many neurodivergent people struggle to access help, either due to stigma, lack of awareness of specialist services, or previous negative experiences. Research mapped in the evidence review notes that almost no UK treatment systems have been designed with neurodivergent users in mind, and that most support “is predominantly designed and tested on neurotypical people.”
The evidence base is thin. The Rapid Evidence Assessment (REA) found no published UK research on adapted treatment for autistic people or those with dyslexia, dyspraxia or dyscalculia.
GambleAware’s newly released tools aim to address that gap. They include training materials, communication guidance and case studies to help clinicians adapt how they work. Six key principles underpin the recommendations, including the need to “ensure clarity and simplicity,” consider sensory needs, and provide support that “promotes the autonomy and independence” of neurodivergent players.
A wider shift in how gambling harm is understood
The new resources arrive at a moment of flux in Britain’s gambling-harm system. As reported previously, more than five million adults now want to cut back or quit gambling, most of them not classified as problem gamblers. The rise has placed early-support tools, many run or funded by GambleAware, at the centre of the national response.
GambleAware’s earlier analysis suggests younger adults are driving this shift, with nearly a third of 18- to 34-year-olds who gamble saying they want to reduce or stop.
Meanwhile, the charity’s separate research into online advertising warned that children and young adults in deprived areas face disproportionately high exposure to gambling marketing, deepening existing inequalities.
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