Over the years, we have carried out a huge amount of research into gambling harm and its consequences, either as commissioners or researchers. We have spoken to people from all ages and walks of life and heard them tell their stories of how gambling harm has affected them. So, when the government announced a call for evidence on gambling harm, and we got approached to conduct a review and analysis of gambling research and policy, we jumped at the chance.
The momentum for a review of gambling regulation started to build after a slew of reports from entities such as the House of Lords and the National Audit Office, all bemoaning the laissez-faire regulation of gambling in Great Britain. As a result, the department in charge decided to put out a call for evidence that would underpin their reform.
Our client, the political campaign group Clean up Gambling, strongly believed that regulation was outdated and ran contrary to the evidence available in academia and from lived experience. They reached out and asked us to create a report for change that would include all the available evidence, use it to answer the ever-pressing 'so what' question, and translate it into tangible policy recommendations.
With decades of available research to draw upon, we started pulling out the evidence into multiple themes that would allow us to highlight and communicate the, often difficult, research in an accessible way. These were then analysed for potential insight into what positive change could be made and juxtaposed against the current regulation.
Reformers have been campaigning for the government to take a public health approach to gambling like they do with alcohol or smoking. We used a public health framework and a consumer benefits and rights approach. We showcased that while gambling is often referred to as an everyday consumer activity, its regulation does not meet the government's standards for markets and consumers. In fact, we found that it is treated more laxly than other goods. Our context analysis showed that this would be an effective avenue to influence government and the public. Calling for consumer protections is easy to understand and cannot be dismissed as being 'anti-gambling'.
We highlighted the need for reform through the report and gave constructive, evidence-based paths for positive change. Our approach puts the people affected by gambling harm at the core and underpins all recommendations with evidence. We then communicated these in plain language that showed the value added to those affected by the current regulation and the government and wider society. We went beyond providing a report by working with the client to create a strategy outlining a roadmap for positive change. Through doing so, we created the tools the client needed to move the agenda forward. Since submitting the report, we have continued to work closely with the client to analyse emerging research and provide critical analysis and ongoing support.
