As part of new research into gambling harms beyond the scope of the Problem Gambling Severity Index, the Gambling Commission has undertaken a new study which relies heavily on the input of its Lived Experience Advisory Panel, which was responsible for “piloting initial interviews, and reviewing study documentation.” But where are the lived experiences of the millions who actually play and enjoy the entertainment form – they seem to have little voice at all?
The Gambling Commission’s Lived Experience Advisory Panel has assumed a major role in shaping the regulator’s latest round of research, which put a range of follow-up questions to participants of the GSGB in order to study the impact of gambling harm beyond the scope of the Problem Gambling Severity Index.
According to the Commission, the panel was instrumental in guiding the development and methodology of the survey to better understand the consequences of gambling, adding “a layer of authenticity” to the proceedings, with its members “well-positioned to guide the development of research within this area.”
“Due to the sensitive nature of the research and the topic being covered, we involved our Lived Experience Advisory Panel (LEAP) throughout the research process,” said senior research and statistics analyst Amandeep Manku. “LEAP members have real-life experience of gambling harm and are therefore well-positioned to guide the development of research within this area.”
“LEAP provided valuable input into the development of research materials, piloting initial interviews, and reviewing study documentation. LEAP’s lived experience, insight, and expertise helped to ensure participant wellbeing and provided perspectives that may otherwise have been overlooked.”
The input of LEAP is undoubtedly necessary in ensuring that the research process is mindful of reducing potential harm for participants, with the Commission adding that it will continue to work with the panel “to help inform future research design and practices, and to ensure that our research is accessible, inclusive and focused on participant wellbeing.”
However, the Commission’s own website states that the regulator itself “is responsible for decision-making which draws on the advice it receives from its expert advisory groups alongside other evidence and input from a wide range of stakeholders.”
“To ensure balance, the Gambling Commission engage with other consumers, including those who gamble without suffering harm. This is done through a variety of surveys, panels, stakeholder engagement activities and research.”
However, these research findings rarely reach the surface of the Comimssion’s discourse or its public declarations. Executive Director Tim Miller’s speech at the Bingo Association AGM recently shared very little,actually nothing, of the findings of any research amongst those who gamble without harm.
That number is not just the overwhelming majority of gamblers in the country – if you put all the 650 MPS into one room in the Houses of Parliament, only one would struggle to squeeze their little tush into it.Ironically, the only tush that matters, that of gambling minister Baroness Twycross, actually sits in the House of Lords.
Meanwhile, back in the endless land of studies, the latest round of research delivered no clear patterns in gambling harm. With external factors found to have a marked influence on outcomes, the wider gambling sector may be interested in hearing more from the Commission on how far industry panels and stakeholder engagement activities influenced its findings.
