Funds were awarded to two consortia through a competitive process with a focus on social responsibility. The first consortium, led by Ipsos MORI and supported by researchers at the University of Manchester, will conduct a study for 18 months. The study aims to understand the underlying factors that drive gambling harms among marginalized and socially excluded communities.
The key objectives of the research include exploring the lived experience of gambling, gambling harms, and available support services within minority communities. Researchers will also identify the drivers of gambling harms among these communities in Britain and examine international research to inform interventions and policies. The final research report will be published in 2023, with interim reports being released earlier to support GambleAware’s wider five-year strategy.
The original grant was set at £250,000, but it was increased to £300,000 to support the collaborative consortium. Research lead Jay St.John Levy highlighted the under-researched nature of the experiences of minority communities and how evidence suggests that they are more likely to experience harm from gambling while being less likely to access treatment services compared to white communities.
GambleAware aims to commission a broad range of treatment and support services that cater to the needs of minority ethnic, language, and religious communities. The research grant awarded to the consortia is an important step towards reducing the inequalities in gambling harms. Meanwhile, GambleAware also granted £250,000 to researchers studying the lived experiences of women in relation to gambling-related harm. Additionally, they recommissioned Scottish charity Fast Forward to deliver the Scottish Gambling Education Hub for another three years until October 2024.
