GambleAware finds that across Scotland, fewer people experiencing gambling problems are accessing treatment, support or advice compared to the average across Britain
GambleAware releases new interactive data maps of Great Britain, outlining gambling harms at both a local authority and parliamentary constituency level
New research published by GambleAware, the leading charity commissioning gambling harm prevention and treatment services, has found that people experiencing gambling harms are more likely to suffer from a range of mental health conditions than people who do not gamble.
GambleAware has published the results of its latest annual Treatment and Support Survey, which shows that early exposure to gambling is linked to risk of gambling harms in later life.
GambleAware has today published research in partnership with IFF Research, the University of Bristol, and Gamcare, revealing new insights about British women and gambling.
GambleAware is inviting people to submit proposals to contribute to their 10th Annual Conference, ‘Taking action to tackle gambling harms as a public health issue’.
This short paper sets out the extensive research programme and evidence base which has informed the development of the GambleAware World Cup prevention campaign.
This research, led by Bournemouth University and commissioned by GambleAware, was undertaken to review how safer gambling messages are delivered and to what extent transparency is present when operators provide information to customers.
The paper notes that previous research within the gambling industry has highlighted the use of unfair or misleading promotional techniques, such as ‘free play’ promotions and unclear pay-out rates, as well as the lack of corporate social responsibility (CSR) policies.
GambleAware commissioned a consortium of IFF Research, the University of Bristol and GamCare’s Women’s Programme to build knowledge about why women in Britain take part in different types of gambling, the effect this has on them and their lives, and their experience of support and treatment services.
Phase 2 explored the views of women in Great Britain experiencing gambling and gambling harms using a combination of individual depth interviews and a five-day long online community, building on the literature and insights collected as part of Phase 1.
This short paper recaps the campaign background, rationale and execution for the National Gambling Treatment Service campaign launched by GambleAware on the 22nd March 2022. This paper will also introduce the campaign evaluation approach and some of the key findings from the evaluation.
The Patterns of Play report was carried out by researchers from the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) and the University of Liverpool and commissioned by GambleAware to better understand online gambling behaviour in Great Britain.
The purpose of this Rapid Evidence Assessment (REA) was to help us understand (1) what is known about the drivers of gambling participation and gambling harms among women and (2) what good might look like in terms of support and treatment for women harmed by their own gambling or someone else’s. The REA was conducted in line with Government Social Research guidelines. We identified and screened 89 items in total, of which 14 were excluded mainly on the grounds that they did not focus on women or gendered differences in experience. The report is therefore based on 75 items, most of which are academic articles published in journals that were subject to peer review. Much of the evidence is based on international research.
The existing gambling and gambling harms evidence base tends to focus predominantly on men. Research to date shows that women experience gambling in different ways from men, specifically in relation to the types of gambling they participate in and their motivations for doing so.
This research synopsis summarises some of the key findings and insights which informed GambleAware's latest Women’s Harm Prevention campaign and its supporting materials.
GambleAware’s Patterns of Play programme of research is a wide-ranging endeavour to use behavioural datasets to build a more accurate picture of the varied ways in which people gamble, and the potential impact it has on them. As part of this programme, bank transaction data was identified as offering the potential for richer information about gambling behaviour and new insights into tackling gambling harms. The Behavioural Insights Team (BIT) embarked on a project to investigate the feasibility of working with banks, and their data, to those ends.
GambleAware’s Patterns of Play programme of research is a wide-ranging endeavour to use behavioural datasets to build a more accurate picture of the varied ways in which people gamble, and the potential impact it has on them. As part of this programme, bank transaction data was identified as offering the potential for richer information about gambling behaviour and new insights into tackling gambling harms. The Behavioural Insights Team (BIT) embarked on a project to investigate the feasibility of working with banks, and their data, to those ends.
GambleAware has adopted an open research model to ensure that the research it funds will be transparent and accessible to achieve the greatest impact while ensuring the highest confidence in commissioned work.
GambleAware has begun an eight-month grant award process to establish the first Academic Research Hub in Great Britain specialising in gambling harms research.
"No one ever talks about losses. So, it's really hard to even know if someone's got a problem or not, because if you haven’t won for a while – you just won’t say anything...Hearing other people’s stories that are similar to mine kind of makes you think ‘Wait a minute’… you realise you’re not a million miles away from it."
"I try and set myself limits to keep it under control. You can sit there and say you’re in control – but sometimes you’re not. Having a spend calculator is really helpful….it visually shows how much you’re spending. You can’t ignore it."
"I never thought I had a problem. I didn't want to be seen like a gambler and addict. But they're all the things that I was...I think now knowing that I can pick up the phone to someone, or I could reach out to someone and get help straight away…it might have been easier."
"At first I wouldn’t say anything because actually... it's not really my place to say, it's not my money. Then I thought I could help him, but I realise now that's not the case and I should have looked after myself first… I still sometimes have to remember to do that."
"I never talked about anything. I wish I had, just saying stuff out loud makes such a difference… I went to group meetings and the more I spoke about my story, the more open I was. And the more I was getting asked questions and getting more involved. It was that that helped me in my recovery."