Gambling harms in Great Britain – GambleAware’s Research

We all know how popular casino games are across the world and it will be no surprise to say that Great Britain is not an exception. Generally, gambling was created in order for people to have fun and enjoyable experience, but sometimes the consequences can be something that was not intended in the first place. Responsible gaming is something that all the high-quality casinos care about, however, there also are some independent charities that fund treatment and research services to help those who are harmed by gambling activities. One example of such an organization is GambleAware that was created with intention of reducing gamble-related harms in Great Britain.

GambleAware’s research

On May 14, GambleAware introduced its research in methodological surveys that aims to estimate gambling harms in Great Britain. The reason behind doing this research was a study held in 2019 by YouGov, which reports that the rates of gambling harms are significantly high across the country than it was in previous years. 2016 and 2018 Health Surveys reported relatively low rates and it caused an alarm to some interested parties.

The authors of the research are professor Jouni Kuha and professor Patrick Sturgis and according to them, surveys were conducted online and they somehow overestimate the commonness of gambling harms.

Recommendations for future surveys

Besides the standard findings, the researchers are sharing recommendations for future surveys. As the cost of in-person interviews is much higher than online ones, it is better that future surveys take place in an online space, however, it is important to note that in order to have the best results, it might be a good idea to have a mix of both – online and face-to-face methods.

As we already mentioned, the results of the research state that online surveys tend to be a little overestimating, but considering the fact that the price of face-to-face interviews seems to be much higher, it might be a good idea to switch to online surveying in the future that will be also supported by direct interviews.

The demand for gambling treatment services

According to information and knowledge director, Alison Clare, to have the best possible outcome for surveys, treatment, and support commissions must be provided with the best available evidence and having accurate data is essential to this process. The development of the digital world makes it possible to build a strong picture to indicate gambling harms and possible treatment ways for it. The demand for such services is high in Great Britain, and that’s why it is important that capability and capacity operations are planned correctly.