Prince George, B.C. – A new study suggests there were fewer problem gamblers in B.C. in 2014.

This week the provincial government said there were 125,000 problem gamblers in the province (about 3.3% of the population) compared to 159,000 (or 4.6% of the population) back in 2008.

The 2014 Gambling Prevalence Study also found over one-third of at-risk/problem gamblers had experienced a mental-health issue and that young adults aged 18-24 were the group of adults most likely to experience problem gambling relative to other groups (7.3%).

“The term “problem-gamblers” refers to all moderate-risk and high-risk gamblers as defined by the Canadian Problem Gambling Index,” read a release from the provincial government.

“Moderate risk gamblers are those who experience some negative consequences as a result of gambling, while high-risk gamblers are individuals who report significant negative consequences and may experience a loss of control.”

The study also noted 88.8% of the population are non-problem gamblers or do not gamble at all compared to 86.7% seven years ago.

The study was the fifth of its kind since 1993 and the government says it will “help guide improvements to provincial prevention, education and treatment programs.”

In a bid to step up its efforts to address the public-health risks of gambling Victoria has released a plan with 21 commitments.

It will focus on four main themes: problem gambling prevention among youth, encouraging responsible gambling, problem gambling treatment, and research.

For more information on the plan click here.