"Problem gambler" → person experiencing gambling harm

Stigma-preferred language

Definition

"Problem gambler" makes the problem the person's identity and implies the harm is a property of them rather than of a behavior and a product. Person-first phrasing separates the two, which measurably changes how much blame readers assign.

"problem gambling" as the name of a field or program (NCPG, Problem Gambling Awareness Month) stays — you do not rename organizations.

Preferred phrasing

person experiencing gambling harm · person with a gambling problem.

Source

Primary source for this whole section: https://www.recoveryanswers.org/addiction-ary/ Supporting: https://pttcnetwork.org/non-stigmatizing-language/ · https://www.recoveryanswers.org/research-post/person-first-language-heroin-use-disorder/

Cite this

Betttr. ""Problem gambler" → person experiencing gambling harm." The Gambling Recovery Glossary. https://betttr.net/glossary/problem-gambler/ (accessed 2026-09-20).

Last updated: 2026-09-20.

Corrections: support@betttr.net