GambleAware to Launch Research Hub
GambleAware has announced plans to put £4 million towards funding the launch of the UK’s first-ever “Academic Research Hub” specializing in gambling harms. The investment is hoped to have a strong impact on bringing new disciplines into the research field, as well as building a unified base of evidence.
GambleAware has begun a selection process to choose one top UK university to receive the £4 million grant. ©Pixabay/Pexels
First of Its Kind
GambleAware is an independent charity that takes a public health approach to preventing and reducing gambling harms. It commissions services in the UK, and is currently managing more than £56 million worth of funding. It runs intervention and treatment services, including the National Gambling Helpline, as well as running public health campaigns and research projects.
The gambling charity has begun an eight-month grant award process to launch the UK’s first Academic Research Hub devoted singly to researching gambling harms. While the ambitious project will have a big impact on the UK, it is hoped that its findings will also have a global influence.
There are plans to delve into new and diverse areas of research at the hub. Through its creation, GambleAware aims to support its vision to protect gamblers from harm. The new research center will go a long way to fulfilling that objective, by improving understanding of harms and finding new ways to tackle them.
In the future, the academic hub will secure its own alternative funding to further its own growth and development beyond the original grant. As it currently stands, most of the UK’s gambling research comes from a social science perspective and is delivered by a limited number of academics.
The new Academic Research Hub wants to change that, by engaging with a broader range of academic disciplines. Gambling harms will be evaluated utilizing a public health approach, and the hub will dictate its own research focus. That research will go on to inform the treatment providers, agencies and organizations that work to reduce and prevent gambling harms.
A number of universities have been invited to apply for the grant, based on their rankings and previous research into gambling behaviors and the prevention of harms. The grant will be awarded to just one university, which is then expected to take a multi-disciplinary approach within its own institution and with other academics internationally.
One University to Be Chosen
GambleAware has encouraged universities that have a strong record in fields such as mental health, public health, health economics, health inequalities, epidemiology and psychology to apply. Interim Research Director at GambleAware, Alison Clare, announced the plans for the grant. In a statement she said:
“This is a fantastic opportunity for a British university to develop and innovate in a relatively under-researched field, bringing to bear a much wider range of academic disciplines than are currently engaged in gambling harms research.”
Speaking on behalf of the charity, Clare went on to explain the impact that the grant will have on combatting gambling harms in the UK. The investment will offer one top university with the opportunity to boost knowledge in the area of problem gambling and harms, taking in viewpoints from various subjects and fields.
With the introduction of this grant, GambleAware has taken a different approach to its other research projects. The charity will be handing over more responsibility to the chosen university to guide the focus of the research. In terms of selecting the right university for the grant, the charity’s main concern is ensuring a multi-disciplinary, public health approach.
According to the Research Director, GambleAware has already engaged in discussions with a number of UK universities. From those interactions, she says that the charity is expecting some creative and innovative proposals at the Expression of Interest stage of the selection process.
The grant will be awarded in eight months’ time, next April, when the charity has selected a British university to become the home of the Academic Research Hub. The investment will improve the understanding of gambling harms in the UK, influence new legislation and raise the UK’s international profile.
Tackling gambling harms is an issue that it not only being examined by charities, but by the UK government as well. It is currently in the midst of a wide-ranging review of the 2005 Gambling Act, and a white paper is expected to be published before the end of the year. New legislation is likely to be brought in, with a view to improve regulation, crack down on black market operators and make gambling safer.
Campaign Relaunches
In other news, GambleAware recently refreshed its well-known “Bet Regret” campaign ready for the beginning of the new Premier League season. The campaign, which was first launched in 2019, will be aired across UK sports media as well as at football stadiums.
The campaign is targeted at promoting safer gambling amongst men aged between 18 and 34. This category has been found to be the most vulnerable to forming problematic gambling behaviors. The nationwide campaign has gone from strength to strength since its launch, last year featuring the “Tap Out” tagline encouraging punters to take a moment to think before placing bets.
According to GambleAware, the campaign has been successful in delivering its message, with over 60% recognition amongst its broader target audience. That figure is even higher, at 75% amongst those at highest risk. 38% of the campaign’s audience has said that they have “tapped out” of an app before placing a bet, while 17% use “tapping out” as a tool to reduce their betting.
This season the campaign asks punters to “tap out, take a moment, avoid Bet Regret”. The campaign relaunched on August 14th and will run until September 19th on TV, radio, digital platforms and at stadiums. Chief Executive of GambleAware, Zoë Osmond, welcomed the return of Bet Regret, stating:
“With all public health campaigns, the biggest challenge is translating awareness and intentions into actions, which is why there is a continued need to promote behavioral nudges, such as ‘tap out’. So far, we have seen promising results from the campaign to date, with more people recognizing and using ‘tapping out’ as a technique to moderate their betting.”
