Bristol University Now Hosting a New Gambling Harms Research Center

In the context of gambling addiction numbers going back to the alarming levels prior to the pandemic, the University of Bristol has opened a Gambling Harms Research Center (GHRC). The center’s main goal is to provide further help to the 1.4 million addicts while exploring additional layers of harmful gambling on the general public.

The GHRC Will Work Together With Important Institutions

The revolutionary center will be a pioneer of its own and it will be managed by reputable multidisciplinary experts under the funding of a GambleAware grant. The GHRC will completely change the way research on gambling harms is done by mixing in fresh disciplines and building a massive capacity for research in the country as well as at a global level. The hub will mix research from a variety of facilities spanning 26 subjects including psychology, engineering mathematics, personal finance, marketing, neuroscience, economics, and human geography.

It will also work closely with a few important institutions in Bristol, including the Digital Futures Institute, the Population Health Science Institute, and the Poverty Institute. The GHRC is expected to propel Great Britain to the forefront of international multidisciplinary action meant to prevent and cut the negative influence of gambling on the population.

UK’s Gambling Minister Chris Philp also enthusiastically ushered in the new hub, adding that the ministry is busy assessing whether the current gambling harm prevention solutions are efficient enough for the digital age we live in.

The New Hub, a Big Step Forward

GambleAware’s chief executive Zoë Osmond referred to the new research center as a big step forward showing excellent potential for the upcoming years. In her opinion, the hub is expected to bring a fresh approach to the sensitive matter of gambling harm in relation to the local community, while generating numerous benefits in the long term.

The inflation crisis that has caused the cost of living to skyrocket all over the world recently is one of the main culprits causing people to engage in more gambling activities. GHRC’s co-director Agnes Nairn mentioned the large number (50,000+) of children ages 11 to 16 who are currently benefiting from gambling rehab services, calling it “the most horrifying statistic” of them all.

She also added that the expansion of social media has had a huge impact on the volume of gambling, causing online gambling to get “worse and worse” over the years. Nairn added that targeted gambling ads are another contributing factor adding to the problem. Persons who are

dealing with gambling problems are more prone to see more gambling ads popping up on their social media pages.GambleAware also asked for a 1% levy on the gambling industry as a way of stopping a severe gambling harm crisis. At the end of April, a UK woman was sent to jail for stealing $490,000 to fund her addiction. A few days earlier, a UK pharmacist was caught stealing almost $700,000 to fuel his gambling addiction and was sentenced to 21 months in prison.