Major Exploratory Grants
Prof Matt Field, University of Sheffield (2025)
Understanding and improving engagement and retention in NHS gambling treatment services
High dropout rates from addiction treatment services have been documented globally. There can be many drivers behind dropout, although current understanding of the precise reasons and predictors of dropout among people in the UK seeking help for problem gambling is relatively weak. This project examines the factors underlying dropout, including among people who are referred (or self-refer) to a service but do not attend an initial appointment. Using data from the NHS Northern Gambling Service, Matt and his team will use machine learning methods to study predictors of treatment retention/dropout and to better understand why 40% of those referred to the service do not attend an initial appointment.
Dr Tasos Kitsos, Aston University (2024)
Bad Neighbours: The Link between Gambling Venues and Gambling Harms
This project examines the relationship between the presence of gambling venues and gambling harm in the UK. Although harmful gambling is increasingly recognized as a public health issue, there is a distinct lack of evidence on the causal impact of gambling venues on individuals and society. The importance of this project lies in the prevalence of such harmful gambling behaviours in the UK as well as the potential policy implications to create well-targeted mechanisms to decrease such harmful behaviours.
Prof John Cunningham, King’s College London (2022)
This project investigates the effectiveness of a personalised online intervention designed to reduce gambling harm among UK residents through use of a randomised control test. With gambling-related harm rising alongside participation, such interventions may offer a promising opportunity to reach individuals who might not otherwise seek formal treatment. The importance of this research lies in its potential to provide a publicly accessible, low-cost alternative to traditional support systems, helping to address the significant proportion of people experiencing gambling harm.
Dr David Zendle, University of York (2021)
RETRO examines the relationship between gambling spending and harm. The project focuses on three key objectives: creating a bespoke open banking dataset to measure individual spending, including gambling-related expenses; using this data as proof of concept to explore questions about deposits, withdrawals and problem gambling and ensuring the dataset is accessible to the wider research community. By utilising innovative data collection methods, the project fills critical research gaps and provides insights that can inform future public health policies related to gambling harm.
Minor Exploratory Grants
Dr Simon van Baal, University of Leeds (2025)
How do first-hand experiences and Problem Gambling Severity Index scores relate? Using natural language processing to enhance our understanding of text-based narratives
Using natural language processing (NLP), this research examines how narrative descriptions of gambling experiences correlate with PGSI scores. The PGSI questionnaire is one of the most commonly used tools to assess gambling harm, although it relies on people being able to accurately recall their activities and willing to admit when gambling has caused them harm. This project will use natural language processing and artificial intelligence to analyse autobiographical descriptions of gambling behaviour and gambling harms to see how they relate to PGSI scores and whether NLP models can be used as predictors of gambling harm.
Dr Christopher Wilson, Teesside University (2025)
“It’s part of the sport”: Exploring how social identification with sports groups predicts gambling behaviour and how people experience the normalisation of gambling with sports groups
This research project explores how social identification with sports groups predicts gambling behaviour. In addition, the research will examine the normalisation of gambling within certain sports groups and develop recommendations for stakeholders on their approaches to gambling harm reduction. The project aims to explore the relationships between professional sport, gambling and broadcasting with a view to providing evidence to support targeted harm-reduction approaches.
Fay Laidler, University of Glasgow (2024)
Defining ‘Safe Spaces’ for Women Experiencing Gambling Harm in the UK
This project explores the need for safe spaces for women experiencing gambling harm, a topic often overlooked in research. It aims to assess how safe spaces are embedded within British gambling support networks and identify key attributes important to these women. The study includes desk research, interviews with support organisations, secondary data analysis, and a workshop with women affected by gambling harm. The goal is to co-produce recommendations for developing inclusive and effective safe spaces, improving access to support and encouraging the integration of such spaces into broader health services for women.
Dr Elena Petrovskaya, University of Lincoln (2024)
Using the Meta Ad Repository to Empirically Assess Advertising of Gambling and Gambling-like Mechanics in Video Games
This research investigates how gambling and gambling-like products are advertised on social media, focusing on whether ads target demographics more susceptible to gambling harms, such as young men, and if companies comply with regulations like Belgium’s ban on social casino games and loot boxes. Utilising new EU laws requiring detailed disclosure of ad targeting and reach, the study will review social media ads from betting companies and assess compliance with relevant regulations. The goal is to highlight the effectiveness of using advertising data for research, aiming to improve industry practices and regulatory oversight.
Dr Bryan Singer, University of Sussex (2022)
Modelling Individual Variation in Response to Pharmacological Intervention for Problematic Gambling
Few pharmacological treatments are available for gambling disorder (GD) and problematic gambling (PG). Developing effective treatments is challenging due to the wide variation in GD/PG symptoms and co-occurring mental health conditions. In some individuals, persistent gambling may result from excessive value attributed to gambling-related cues, even when these cues do not reliably predict rewards. This research aims to evaluate a pharmacological approach designed to reduce gambling behavior in individuals who place excessive importance on these cues.
Jamie Torrance, University of Chester (2022)
The Development and Evaluation of a Brief Intervention that Incorporates Gambling Advertising Scepticism and Persuasion Inoculation; A Mixed-methods Exploratory Project and Paper 2
This exploratory mixed-methods project consists of two studies designed to develop and assess a brief intervention to enhance skepticism and reduce persuasion from gambling advertising among young adults. Study one will use an online experiment with pre- and post-test measures to compare the effects of a brief-intervention video versus a control video on participants’ advertising skepticism and persuasion knowledge. Study two will involve online focus groups with experts and academics to evaluate and refine the intervention’s content, feasibility, and acceptability.
Richard James, University of Nottingham (2021)
This research project uses integrated data analysis (IDA) to explore how socio-political and economic factors influence gambling behavior and harm. By pooling international gambling prevalence surveys, the study aims to address methodological challenges such as sampling frame biases, mode effects, and measurement comparability. It models the impact of demographic, cultural, economic, and regulatory changes on gambling trends. The project aims to provide a clearer understanding of how these factors interact and affect gambling patterns, offering insights that could inform more effective policies and interventions.
Dr Philip Newall, University of Bristol (2021)
A Novel Test of a Widely-cited Consequence of the Illusion of Control in Gambling
This study uses an online experiment to test the claim that people roll dice harder to achieve higher numbers, a classic example of the illusion of control. Conducted via an interactive mobile phone-based platform with 1,692 participants, the study assesses if this effect varies with gambling experience and risk of problem gambling. Participants perform 24 dice rolls, with roll strength and target numbers recorded. Data will also include recent gambling experience and Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI) scores. The study aims to provide controlled evidence on the illusion of control and its relevance to gambling behavior and theoretical models.
Secondary Data Analysis Grants
Lukasz Walasek, University of Warwick (2024)
Optimising Decision-Making on the GamCare’s National Support Helpline Using Large Language Models
This research, in collaboration with GamCare, aims to develop a decision-support tool for helpline call handlers using natural language processing (NLP) and helpline call data. The tool will help identify markers of gambling harm and recommend appropriate treatment pathways. The project involves data scientists, machine learning engineers, and lived experience experts analysing and coding call data to build predictive models. Expected outcomes include insights into gambling-related harm and recommendations for the tool’s design. The University of Warwick and GamCare will collaborate on data preparation and tool development, with results shared through academic publications and GamCare’s communications.
Prof. Heather Wardle, University of Glasgow (2024)
Exploring the Relationship between Gambling Consumption and Harms among Regular Gamblers in Britain
This project aims to address gaps in British gambling policy by evaluating how well the Lower-Risk Gambling Guidelines apply to regular gamblers in Britain. Using comprehensive harm measures and data on gambling frequency and expenditure, the study will assess how effectively these guidelines identify gambling-related harms. Risk curve and regression analyses will explore the relationship between gambling consumption and harm, with two harm measures used: PGSI scores and a new set of questions from the Gambling Survey of Great Britain. The project aims to refine guidelines by comparing risk cut-offs to the Lower-Risk Gambling Guidelines and adjusting for different gambler profiles.
Postgraduate Support Grants
Anna Paul, Queen Mary University of London (2024)
Using Polygenic Risk Scores to Explore the Shared Genetics between Problem Gambling and its Mental Health Risk Factors
Cong Mou, University of Nottingham (2024)
Clare Wyllie, University of Edinburgh (2024)
The Making and Unmaking of Gambling Habits in the Lives of Women
Leon Xiao, University of Bristol (2024)
Leon Xiao, University of York (2022)
Nick Ballou, Queen Mary University of London (2022)
Revealing Video Game Engagement and Loot Box Spending Through Data Donation
Fay Laidler, University of Glasgow (2022)
Exploring the Policy Roles of Women Harmed by Gambling
Scott Houghton, University of Swansea (2022)
Direct Communication within the Social Media Marketing of Gambling: A Machine Learning Approach
Elena Petrovskaya, University of York (2021)
Predatory Monetisation? The Shift of Digital Game Design into Gamblification and its Effect on Players
Jennifer Robinson, University of Chester (2021)
A Realist Evaluative Case Study: In What Ways Does Support for Affected Others, during and post the FOLD (Focus On Living Differently) Treatment Programme, Impact upon Sustained Recovery for Those Experiencing Gambling Harm?
Leon Xiao, Queen Mary University of London (2021)
The Effectiveness of Belgium’s Gambling Law ‘Ban’ of Loot Boxes and a Large-scale Chinese Survey on Loot Box Engagement, Gambling-related Constructs and Mental Wellbeing
Paper One: Xiao, L.Y. (2023). Breaking Ban: Belgium’s Ineffective Gambling Law Regulation of Video Game Loot Boxes. Collabra: Psychology, 9(1), Article 57641. https://doi.org/10.1525/collabra.57641
Paper Two: Xiao, L.Y., Fraser, T.C., Nielsen, R.K.L., & Newall, P.W.S. (2023). Loot boxes, gambling-related risk factors, and mental health in Mainland China: A large-scale survey. Addictive Behaviors, 148, Article 107860. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2023.107860
Reece Bush-Evans, Bournemouth University (2021)
Gambling, Personality and Wellbeing
Academic Forum for the Study of Gambling 