UKGC Releases Latest Gambling-Related Harm Report
A new piece of research on gambling-related harms has been released by the UK’s regulatory body, the Gambling Commission (UKGC).
A new UKGC report has been published by the regulator. © Steve Sawusch, Unsplash
Key Facts:
- The study includes follow-up interviews with people who took part in the Gambling Survey for Great Britain
- Research was carried out by the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen)
- It also used support from the Gambling Commission’s Lived Experience Advisory Panel (LEAP)
- In all, 25 in-depth interviews were detailed by the UKGC report
UKGC said the aim of the research was to help understand why people can experience “adverse and/or severe gambling consequences”.
The qualitative Gambling Commission research included interviews with 25 participants who took part in the Gambling Survey for Great Britain.
NetCen conducted the research with support from UKGC’s LEAP, with participants either interviewed using Microsoft Teams or over the telephone.
Case studies using information from the research have also been published by UKGC, which hoped to uncover what measures and practices have helped to prevent adverse and/or severe consequences from gambling.
Positive And Negative Impacts
UKGC looked at advantages and disadvantages of gambling, with some participants in the research indicating they had enjoyed a positive financial result, while others experienced an opposite outcome.
Gambling was also cited as a potential bonding experience with friends or family members.
An older female participant in the research highlighted how going to a bingo club is a social occasion, with her 19-year-old granddaughter starting to join them and making it a night out for the whole family.
However, others who took part in the Gambling Commission study said spending money on gambling had impacted their financial situation, leading them to cut back on “social outings with friends, new clothing items, or holidays”.
Some of the respondents said they had used money from their savings to pay for gambling.
One participant in the research said: “It’s just the bills I think really, when I haven’t been able to go out anywhere, or I’ve used the money for food [on gambling] where I’ve had to go and borrow money so I could eat.”
Lying Affecting Relationships
One of the most notable outcomes of the research involved participants detailing how they had been dishonest about their financial spending on gambling.
People who took part said they were not completely honest about their gambling to avoid conflict with their loved ones, or because they were embarrassed.
In some cases, gambling was cited as a major factor in the breaking down of a relationship. A male participant said: “She was like, ‘You’re not paying the bills.’ The arguments were really intense. I went, ‘Right, we’ll just move on. We’ll split.”
Participants also cited stress, depression and anxiety as negative impacts of gambling.
One of the 25 participants who gave an in-depth interview for the study said their gambling was a factor in a suicide attempt.
Summing up part of the research, UKGC said respondents cited forgoing parts of their lives such as “sleep, healthy eating, or exercise” due to their gambling.
