Today, the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) published a new and revolutionary approach to understanding the actual range of gambling-related harm that could be inflicted on British society.
The framework for action was conducted by Dr Heather Wardle representing the Responsible Gambling Strategy Board (RGSB), an independent advisor of the major gambling regulatory body in the country. The report has been issued as a result of the partnership between the UKGC, the RGSB and the local problem gambling-oriented charity GambleAware as a funding body. It is aimed at looking for a way to better measure and understand the impact and cost which gambling-related harm has on the British society.
In the foreword to the newly-released report, the Chief Executive Officer of the Commission, Neil McArthur, said that normally most consumers are able to take part in various gambling activities without being affected by any negative consequences. However, the gambling watchdog could not turn a blind eye to the possible detrimental impact gambling could have on local individuals, families and communities.
Mr. McArthur further explained that significant progress in understanding the negative effects of gambling and measuring its impact on British society and economy as a whole has already been reached, but there was a lot more work to be done. He also said that the Commission is ready to provide its support to encourage public health officials, the wider public and the industry to work together with the gambling regulatory body and provide it with their opinions on the matter so that an efficient framework for prevention of gambling-related harm is forged.
Report Seeks the Right Methodology to Measure Gambling Impact
As mentioned above, the ground-breaking report aims at finding the right methods that could be used in order to measure the impact gambling can have on different aspects of the British society, including individuals, relationships/families, finances and health.
The report also seeks to agree on a definition of gambling-related harm, so that public health officials, policymakers and lawmakers, as well as the industry are all able to use it. As explained in the report, the impact of gambling harm could affect players’ lives only in the short term but it could also be more durable. What is more, the survey seeks to explore both the social and economic impact which gambling-related harm could have, in order for the latter to be better monitored, measured and understood.
Another major objective set by the newly-issued report is forging an efficient framework for action which takes into account the impact which gambling-related harm not only on the problem gamblers themselves but also by their families and the communities as a whole. What is more, the RGSB and the UKGC are focused on finding out the most effective way to measure the costs of possible harm which could be inflicted on society as a whole.
The lead author of the report, Dr Heather Wardle, described the report as a massive step forward when it comes to the very understanding of gambling and the harm it could bring to society. According to her, it is a major step forward, as it recognises that gambling could affect many more than only a number of individuals, but actually extends beyond them to their friends, family members, communities and the British society as a whole.
- Author
Daniel Williams
