The Gambling Commission has published new research and accompanying insights from Amandeep Manku, Senior Research and Statistics Analyst, on the impacts of gambling harm.
The recent Gambling Survey for Great Britain (GSGB) found that out of the 9% of those surveyed who were reportedly affected by someone else's gambling, 63% of these had gambled themselves in the past 12 months.
This triggered an additional qualitative study by Humankind Research, which was funded by the statutory gambling levy.
The Commission noted that “some findings and recommendations extend beyond the Commission’s regulatory remit and will therefore be relevant to the wider gambling ecosystem” and that “a companion report to be published in the coming months will explore implications for the wider gambling ecosystem in more depth.”
Lived experience research
Although partners of those experiencing gambling harm often carry the most sustained harms, the research uncovered that “parents, adult children, siblings, friends, and colleagues each describe distinct and specific forms of harm.”
The research also found that safer gambling tools were found almost exclusively at crisis point by the affected other, but all of them currently require the person gambling to initiate and maintain them.
Fewer than one in five affected others reach out for support, and if they themselves do not have personal experiences with gambling or know somebody else who does, then it can feel impossible to know where to get help.
The report concluded: “However, what comes through most consistently is a sense of being alongside something without being able to fully see it, name it, or act on it.
“This quality of gradual recognition, harm absorbed over time, and consequences that spread across relationships, finances, and health, connects the different relationship types and journey stages described in this report.
“It also helps explain why affected others are difficult to reach through conventional channels, and why so few seek formal support.”
In other regulatory news, Stakelogic has agreed to pay £122,835 ($161,900) following a Gambling Commission investigation that found multiple online slot games were operating faster than the minimum spin speed permitted under responsible gambling regulations.
The Gambling Commission’s response
Manku brought up an interesting bridge between the statistic of those who also gamble and those who are affected by another's gambling harm.
She said: “For affected others who also gamble, this was sometimes seen as a shared social activity that supported bonding.
“However, some found their own gambling became tied up with the other person’s, leading to guilt and difficulty understanding responsibility for the harm.
“Although this dynamic was identified, further research is needed to fully understand it.”
The Lived Experience Advisory Panel (LEAP) was brought onto the study early on, with several members helping to reach out to participants who are typically hard to reach.
Not only did this help the study, but it also flagged recruitment challenges for studies such as this.
The upcoming companion report will offer signposting for future research opportunities, and offer recommendations for those involved in the prevention, education and treatment sectors.
A total of 30.1% of affected others also reported adverse consequences from their own gambling
