$400K GambleAware Grant to Fund Research on Impact Gambling Has on Minority Groups

GambleAware, the British gambling awareness charity, announced on Monday the outcome of a recent grant award process. The charity revealed that it awarded a £300,000 ($397,000) grant for new research which will analyze the lived experiences of gambling harms among minority communities. GambleAware explained that such minority communities may be a minority based on terms of language groups, religion, or ethnic minorities.

New Research to Seek to Determine Impact of Gambling on Minority Groups

The initial proposal for the grant was set at £250,000 ($331,000), but in the end, GambleAware decided to increase it to £300,000 ($397,000). The research program will last 18 months and will have multiple key objectives. The research will seek to explore the lived experiences of gambling, gambling harm, as well as treatment and support services among minority communities. Moreover, the study will seek to explore what information and support services those communities receive.

Another key objective of the study will be to explore the drivers of gambling harms within Great Britain. The study will seek to identify policies, interventions and services which will be necessary to help reduce, as well as prevent gambling harm among minority communities.

GambleAware revealed that two consortia will collaborate on this research. The first one will be led by Ipsos MORI with the help of researchers from the University of Manchester. On the other hand, the second one is ClearView Research. With that in mind, the overall research will be led by Ipsos MORI. While the final research is expected to be published in 2023, GambleAware said that interim reports will be released earlier.

The Study Is Expected to Provide Key Insights Regarding Gambling among Minorities

GambleAware’s research lead, Dr. Jay St. John Levy revealed that the experience of gambling minorities in the UK is an under-researched area currently. However, he added that based on collected evidence, it looks like those groups are more likely to experience gambling harm but less likely to gain access to treatment services.

“The experiences of minority communities around gambling are at present under-researched in Great Britain, yet evidence suggests that these groups are more likely to experience harm from gambling and less likely to access gambling treatment services, compared with white communities.”

Dr. Jay St. John Levy, Research Lead at GambleAware

Dr. Levy acknowledged that GambleAware is pleased to initiate the research by awarding the two consortia with the grant. He added that the collaboration of the consortia will provide key insights into the “people’s nuanced lived realities.” According to Dr. Levy, the research will provide key answers on why minority communities may experience more gambling harm.

Additionally, the study will help determine and reduce the factors that are preventing such groups from accessing treatment services. Dr. Levy added that the research will help GambleAware and other organizations better understand how treatment and support services for minority communities can be commissioned. Last but not least, he deemed the research “an important step towards reducing the current inequalities in gambling harms.”