On Monday, GambleAware, a charity organisation that spreads gambling awareness among British people, revealed it will financially support a new research program. To support a new study on gambling-related harms among minorities, GambleAware issued a £300,000 grant. According to the charity, minority groups can be based on language, religion, or ethnicity.
New Research to Reveal the Lived Experience of Gambling-Related Harms Among Minorities
Initially, the grant was supposed to be £250,000, however, GambleAware decided to award a bigger sum for the research, making the final grant £300,000. The duration of the new research program is due to last 18 months, covering several main objectives. The study will closely examine the impact of gambling on minority groups as well as their lived experience with gambling harms and treatment and support programs for vulnerable individuals. Additionally, the study will investigate the type of support services minorities have access to and the type of information they receive on such issues.
Yet another very important objective of the new study will be to identify the factors that lead to gambling-related harms in the UK. In addition to determining the drivers causing gambling issues, the study will also focus on policies, services, and intervention programs that will be used to reduce gambling-related harms among minorities in the UK.
The study will be carried out by two consortia, one being the market research company Ipsos MORI, and the second one – ClearView Research. The study of Ipsos MORI will be conducted with the help of the University of Manchester. The final results of the research are due to be published in 2023 but there will also be some interim reports that will be available to the public earlier.
Gambling Harms Among Minority Communities in the UK Are Under-Researched
According to Dr. Jay St. John Levy, head researcher of GambleAware, the impact of gambling and gambling-related harms among minorities in the UK have not been properly researched. He noted that despite lacking enough data, however, the evidence that has been collected until now shows that minority groups are more likely to suffer from gambling harms but are less likely to be able to resort to any type of treatment.
Dr. Levy shared that GambleAware is happy to support the research by awarding the £300,000 grant to the two consortia. The joint research venture of the consortia will provide a better understanding of the lived gambling experience of people from minority communities. The study is expected to reveal the main reasons for minorities in the UK being more likely to suffer from gambling-related harms.
By indicating the drivers of gambling harms, the study will also help reduce such factors and provide better access to treatment services for minority groups. Dr. Levy added that the research is of great importance as it may help reduce the inequalities between minorities and other communities who are all suffering from gambling-related harms.
- Author
Olivia Cole
