How people’s experiences of gambling-related harm can inform regulatory action
Article provided by IAGR partner, Greo Evidence Insights
This article is inspired by the upcoming IAGR and IMGL Rome conference session, ‘The gambling recovery information framework’, with Matt Smith, Head of External Affairs from Betknowmore.
There’s growing recognition that meaningful involvement of people who have experienced or are experiencing gambling-related harm is vital in our efforts to reduce harms related to gambling.
Several terms are used to acknowledge our engaged partners, including people with lived and living experience and experts by experience.
Lived experience, or “knowing from experience”, refers to people’s direct or indirect experiential knowledge of an issue or service. Evidence suggests that involving people with lived/living experience in decision-making can provide valuable perspectives and significantly enhance the development of inclusive, equitable, and impactful policies, programs, and practices that address gambling-related harm. Engagement can also provide positive opportunities for people with lived/living experience.
How can the perspectives of people with lived/living experience inform regulatory measures to reduce gambling-related harm?
Recently published gambling research
Below is a selection of resources that may help to inform regulatory approaches to incorporating lived/living experience:
- Experiences of people with lived experiences in gambling harm reduction efforts
- Qualitative research on the lived experience and views of gambling among children and young people
- Women’s experiences of gambling-related harm as an affected other
- Involving lived experience in regional efforts to address gambling-related harms: going beyond ‘window dressing’ and ‘tick box exercises’
- Building knowledge of women’s lived experience of gambling and gambling harms across Great Britain
Evidence-informed action
Below are examples that offer insights into strategies for lived experience involvement.
Denmark
In 2023, the Danish gambling regulator Spillemyndigheden launched StyrPåSpillet.dk, an online public information portal. The website provides information for the public about gambling issues and hosts the regulator’s podcast Vi snakker om spillet (We talk about gaming). The podcast explores discussions on lived/living experience with people who have experienced ‘spilafhængighed’ (Danish for gambling addiction) and their loved ones. StyrPåSpillet.dk is part of a series of government initiatives from 2023 to 2025 aimed at reducing rates of problem gambling.
Australia
The Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation, which ceased operations on 1 July 2024, was a statutory authority created by the Victorian Parliament specifically to address the challenge of gambling harm. Their Lived Experience Advisory Committee provided the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation’s board and management with valuable insights from people who have experienced gambling harm, including harm from someone else’s gambling.
United Kingdom
The Lived Experience Access Fund (LEAF) seeks to empower people who have experienced gambling harm, both directly and indirectly, to participate in research focused on preventing and mitigating gambling harm. Gambling Harm UK and Thrive Recovery were selected to administer the LEAF on behalf of the Academic Forum for the Study of Gambling and Greo Evidence Insights. LEAF will disseminate funds to 1) support research-related upskilling and personal development of people with lived experience and 2) remove barriers to meaningful engagement in research.
The Scottish Gambling Harms Lived Experience Forum engages with policy and decision-makers to present their priorities for effectively preventing, mitigating and reducing gambling harm. The forum sits within Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland’s Reducing Gambling Harm programme, which aims to put the voice of people affected by gambling harms at the heart of action to reduce those harms.
