What's New in
Gambling Research
June 2020 | Issue 3
Welcome
Welcome to the third issue of What's New in Gambling Research. This newsletter profiles recently released research about gambling-related harm and problem gambling and provides links to other useful resources and events.

This issue features research conducted in the UK and internationally to bring relevant and up-to-date information. We are also pleased to announce that the call for Secondary Data Analysis funding applications has been reopened.

A group of researchers joined a video call on June 17th to explore ways to coordinate an on-going Academics Forum as part of the National Strategy to Reduce Gambling Harms. This activity came out of the Academics Forum hosted by the Gambling Commission in London in November 2019 and included those who expressed interest in taking the work forward. The intent of the Academics Forum is to work with all partners under the Strategy, including creating mechanisms for regular input from the broader academic community in the UK. Currently GREO is coordinating the meeting times; please contact Margo Hilbrecht if you would like to join this group or receive regular updates.

Special Note Regarding COVID-19: Although social distancing measures are beginning to relax in some jurisdictions, the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic could have a significant impact on how, why, and when people gamble. GREO is committed to curating and sharing the best available evidence to inform meaningful and responsive policy and practice across the gambling landscape. In partnership with international stakeholders, we’ve developed a COVID -19 resource page that gathers together pertinent evidence related to gambling behaviour, mental health, and wellbeing.

GREO specialises in knowledge translation and exchange. We are supporting the National Strategy to Reduce Gambling Harms in Great Britain by applying our skills and expertise to support research to inform action. This newsletter is one way for us to deliver the latest information in support of the National Strategy to your mailbox.
The word Knowledge circled in a dicitonary with its definition of great intelligence and...
Academic Articles
Here you will find links to recently published articles in the academic literature to help keep you informed of new directions and developments in gambling research. These are linked to two-page Research Snapshot summaries created by GREO and approved by the article’s primary author. We provide links to online abstracts and, where possible, Open Access articles. READ MORE
Specialised Resources
Gambling studies has a rich grey literature that can be used to inform projects and presentations. These specialised resources range from research reports to policy reviews to government reports and discussion papers. They represent some of the timeliest sources of information on current issues in gambling. We highlight selected new resources on issues of interest to researchers and policy makers in Great Britain. EXPLORE RESOURCES
Datasets
In the spirit of Open Science and to promote the reuse of existing data, we share information about accessible datasets with potential to support your research and teaching. Scroll down to read more about a new dataset in the Transparency Project Respository called Gamblers’ perceptions of stakeholder responsibility for minimizing gambling harm
Conferences
Many conferences we look forward to attending have been cancelled or postponed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. We will do our best to keep you informed of changes, and post conference links, including dates and locations, for events that will take place at a future date. Scroll down and follow our links at the bottom of this newsletter for the latest information.
We hope you enjoy this newsletter. If you have information to share with the UK gambling research community or on our COVID-19 resource page, please forward it to GREO for inclusion in an upcoming issue. We are collecting feedback about this issue of the newsletter through a short survey which we invite you to complete.

You can also visit our microsite to learn more about GREO's program of activity in support of the National Strategy, including dissemination of research, applying research to policy, and international collaboration. Since GREO began supporting the National Strategy to Reduce Gambling Harms in July 2019, 265 Research Snapshots and 75 Specialised Resources relevant to the strategy have been published in the GREO Evidence Centre.
Highlights from Academic Articles and Specialised Resources
Do limit-setting tools reduce online gambling intensity?
Final synthesis report – The effect of gambling marketing and advertising on children, young people, and vulnerable adults
Gambling Commission – Gambling regulation: problem gambling and protecting vulnerable people
Open Access Dataset


Participants ( N = 3748) who were drawn from MGM MLife loyalty program database completed an online survey that gathered information about the extent to which casino gamblers hold a distributed sense of responsibility for minimising gambling harm. Researchers were also interested in exploring how perceptions of responsibility for minimising gambling harm were related to the experience of gambling problems. The dataset includes the Positive Play Scale (modified version), past use of responsible gambling tools, the Brief Biosocial Gambling Screen, questions to assess perceptions of whose responsibility it is to minimize gambling harm, and a range of demographic variables. The dataset is available in the Transparency Project data repository and publicly available in SPSS format.

A related article , “Gamblers’ perceptions of stakeholder responsibility for minimizing gambling harm,” is available through Open Access.

Gray, H.M., LaPlante, D.A., Abarbanel, B. et al. (2019). Gamblers' Perceptions of Stakeholder Responsibility for Minimizing Gambling Harm. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction.
CALL REOPENED: Secondary Data Analysis

The call for applications for secondary analyses of high-quality datasets with the potential to advance understanding of gambling and health issues in Great Britain has been reopened. This will allow researchers to participate who were unable to apply due to the timing of the original call in April when COVID-19 restrictions were being introduced.

Two grants valued at up to £17,500 will be awarded. Funds are derived from non-voluntary regulatory settlements.

Until July 28, 2020, we will be accepting applications for the secondary analysis of nationally representative datasets that address gambling and health. In support of the National Strategy to Reduce Gambling Harms, proposals that address the following areas are encouraged:

  • Gambling and co-occurring health conditions
  • Populations experiencing social inequity 
  • Reducing harm across the spectrum of gambling risk levels
  • Gaps in treatment service provision
  • Relationships between gambling forms, co-occurring health conditions, and problem gambling risk levels 

Researchers with knowledge of gambling in Great Britain are preferred. For more information or to submit an application, visit the GREO website.

OPEN ACCESS: In Support of the National Strategy to
Reduce Gambling Harms

Thomas Swanton and Sally Gainsbury have been awarded Open Access funding for their article, “Gambling-related consumer credit use and debt problems: a brief review”, published in Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences. Their article was profiled in the April edition of this newsletter.

The Open Access funding programme was announced in January 2020, and is now closed .
Upcoming Conferences and Workshops


Within the UK

November 5-6, 2020 - Location to be confirmed

POSTPONED until 2021 - Nottingham, UK


Outside the UK

November 18-20, 2020 - Sydney, Australia

POSTPONED until 2021 - Oslo, Norway

POSTPONED until 2021 - Melbourne, Australia 

CANCELLED until 2022 - Auckland, NZ


Online

October 4-5, 2020 - Virtual Conference
Don't forget to provide feedback via our short survey!
If this newsletter was forwarded to you or you linked to it through another publication, please add your name to our mailing list to ensure you receive future issues.