19/07/2026
🏆 Spain v Argentina. The World Cup final. Tonight at 8pm.
For many people, tonight will be about enjoying the football. However, major tournaments can also bring a constant stream of betting adverts, app notifications, promotions and in-play markets.
The Scottish Gambling Education Hub warns that betting on live sport, including football, can allow people to place quick, repetitive bets and may present a higher risk of gambling harm.¹
New official figures published this week show that, during the previous four weeks:
🎯 10.3% of adults in Scotland had taken part in betting.
📱 9.5% had bet on sports or racing online or through an app.
The same survey suggests that around 1 in 20 Scottish adults who had gambled during the previous year had used savings or borrowed money because of their gambling at least occasionally.²
For some people, what begins as a few bets during a match can contribute to:
💸 Debt
😟 Stress and anxiety
💔 Relationship problems
🏠 Financial pressure at home
Public Health Scotland highlights that gambling harm can affect people’s mental health, relationships and wider financial circumstances.³
If tonight makes it difficult to stop, you find yourself chasing losses, or money needed for bills and everyday living is being used, reaching out could be an important step.
Scotland-based help:
🔹 RCA Trust provides gambling-related harm support across Scotland, including individual, couple and family counselling: 0141 887 0880
https://www.rcatrust.org.uk/
🔹 Gamblers Anonymous Scotland offers peer support through its 24-hour helpline: 0370 050 8881
https://www.ga-scotland.org/
🔹 GAMSTOP provides free online gambling self-exclusion
https://www.gamstop.co.uk/
🔹 GamCare's National Gambling Helpline: 0808 8020 133, available free of charge 24 hours a day by telephone, live chat and WhatsApp
https://www.gamcare.org.uk/get-support/
Find these and other specialist support services here:
🔗 trustdeedscotland.net/support-signposting-services
If gambling has contributed to unaffordable debt, Trust Deed Scotland® can explain the debt solutions that may be available based on your circumstances.
💻 trustdeedscotland.net
📞 0141 221 0999
📲 wa.me/447360278014
____________
⚠️ May not be suitable in all circumstances.
Fees apply. Your credit rating may be affected.
Free debt advice is available from moneyhelper.org.uk.
¹ https://gamblingeducationhub.fastforward.org.uk/learn/2-3-risk-factors-for-experiencing-gambling-harm/
² https://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/statistics-and-research/publication/gambling-survey-for-great-britain-annual-report-2025-official-statistics
³ https://publichealthscotland.scot/our-blog/2023/may/gambling-harm-a-driver-of-widening-health-inequalities/