Gambling from a public health perspective

At the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen), we have extensive experience in conducting research in the field of gambling, with customers including GambleAware, the Gambling Commission and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). This experience spans evaluation, surveys, qualitative research and evidence reviews, covering important issues for policy and regulation such as gambling harms, attitudes towards gambling, patterns of use and effectiveness / accessibility of treatment and support.

In the latest Health Survey for England, an estimated 50% of adults had participated in gambling activity in the past 12 months. Much of this activity is focused on enjoyment and results in little or no harm. However, there is a growing evidence base around harms which can be caused by gambling including financial, social and health-related impacts. Gambling related harm has often been viewed as an individual, clinical issue, with research focused on individual or behavioural drivers and treatment.

However, the past decade has seen an increasing shift towards a public health perspective on gambling harms, highlighting the need to tackle the intersecting social, cultural, economic and environmental determinants which interact to increase the risk of these harms. This approach recognises that gambling harms can be driven or exacerbated by societal and health inequalities and, as such, people in communities who face inequalities, marginalisation and discrimination can be at increased risk of experiencing these harms.

Researchers at our newly formed Centre for Gambling Research are at the forefront of developing the evidence base in this field. In particular:

• As research in the field of gambling evolves, new approaches to measuring gambling-related harms should be adopted. We have recently worked with academics at the University of Plymouth to conduct a scoping study for GambleAware to understand developments in the measurement of gambling related harms.
• Our specialist survey methodologists have also worked closely with the Gambling Commission to develop and test new harms questions for the Gambling Survey for Great Britain (which will be administered by NatCen). 
• To better understand gambling harms, it is vital to involve people with lived experience using sensitive and accessible qualitative methodologies. Our ongoing work for GambleAware and the Gambling Commission involves in-depth interviews with members of the public to understand the drivers of, and relationships between, different types of harm and the stigma and discrimination of people who experience gambling harms.  

This research is critical to inform effective interventions which can reduce the risk of harm among these communities and enable accessible and successful support and treatment options.