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An update has been provided by the Gambling Commission on the second stage of its experimental study, which aims to examine the prevalence of gambling-related harm. To replace its current method of data collection, which is via telephone surveys, the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) is experimenting with a method of data collection that provides a better picture of the prevalence of problem gambling.
In an era when playing at a win real money UK no deposit casino is so easily accessible, there has never been more need for a survey like this. Awareness about the urgency to address the increasingly rising issue of problem gambling is no doubt a must. Add to this the necessity to promote the relevant tools and portals for players to recognize tell-tale signs and possible preventive measures, and we are most certainly moving a few steps in the right direction.
A Brief Overview
After conducting a trial in May 2022, the Commission gave its go-ahead for the project, notwithstanding its concern that the new survey may overrepresent individuals with a gambling problem. The subsequent stage, involving the third stage of these experiments shall be conducted between April and July 2023, and is intended to consolidate the survey for the purpose of official statistics.
The Two Experiments Of The Second Phase
The second phase of the project explored ways to improve the survey’s data collecting methods and the questionnaire content. Two experiments were used to test the content and participant recruitment methods.
The first experiment investigated the selection process for households as well as the way in which harms statements were presented.
The focus of this household selection experiment was on participant recruitment, and it aimed to determine the most effective strategies to encourage participation from both individuals who gamble and those who do not. The goal was to ensure a diverse and representative sample of participants. To this end, NatCen adapted the wording used in the invites to explicitly state that it was seeking participants from both gambling and non-gambling backgrounds.
In line with this experiment, NatCen also employed a split sample design to determine the optimal number of adults per household to invite for participation. To reach this objective, it tested the effectiveness of inviting two individuals per household rather than four, in order to optimize participation rates.
This work enabled NatCen to further develop the efforts of the Gambling Commission toward gaining a better understanding of the frequency and characteristics of gambling-related harm.
NatCen also wanted to discover whether a yes/no response worked better than a four-point scale when requesting information about gambling harm experiences. Subsequently, the second experiment sought to test the construction of the gambling activity list and its presentation. It, therefore, tested an updated list of gambling activities while also exploring various ways of presenting the list: a long list, chunked list, and hierarchical list.
A further aim was to explore the viability of using a quick response (QR) code as a means of streamlining the data entry process and reducing the need for manual input.
<H2> Conclusions From The Two Experiments </H2>
After the experiments were concluded, NatCen made a number of recommendations as to future methodology, including the following:
- Two adults per household rather than four should be invited to participate
- The refined four-point answer scale for the harms-related questions should be maintained, with the answers being “very often”, “fairly often”, “occasionally”, and “never”
- A long list approach should be adopted rather than a chunk list or hierarchical list
- QR codes should remain an available option for participants to be able to access the survey.
Latest Problem Gambling Survey
In March, the Gambling Commission released the results of its latest traditional telephone survey, indicating that the problem gambling rate in Britain had remained at a record low of 0.2% for the entirety of 2022. Additionally, the Commission’s quarterly telephone survey revealed that the problem gambling rate declined when compared to the year before, falling from 0.3% to an even lower rate.
Despite the positive news regarding problem gambling, the survey did show a significant increase in the number of gamblers at moderate risk, rising from 0.8% to 1.3% for the quarter ended on December 31st. Conversely, the number of gamblers at low risk remained constant at 1.7% for the same quarter.
