NIESR unveils project to measure the costs of gambling harm
Gambling Commission-backed study will model the impact of gambling on the economy and society
The National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR) has announced it will be leading a new project to count the costs of gambling harm for individuals, communities and the wider society.
Funded by a regulatory settlement approved by the Gambling Commission, the NIESR aims to use its unique modelling capacity to quantify the benefits and costs of gambling and its connection to household finances and the national economy by simulating the impact of different policy choices.
Utilising a research team that will be assisted by an advisory board of 10 leading academic economists and health experts, the research will reflect the wider policy debate and the framework of the National Strategy to Reduce Gambling Harms. The NIESR also intends that the findings will be used to contribute to the evidence base as part of the ongoing review of the Gambling Act 2005.
Speaking of the planned research, Professor Adrian Pabst, NIESR’s deputy director and research lead on the project, said: “Gambling is an important part of the UK’s economic and social landscape, but we do not have a sufficiently accurate understanding of its benefits and costs.
“We welcome this opportunity to conduct a rigorous assessment and help build an impartial evidence base. Changes to the gambling legislation and the regulatory framework should be driven by independent research, especially at a time when legislators and policymakers face a tension between the demands to grow the industry and calls to minimise gambling harm.”
Dr James Noyes, chair of the project’s advisory board, added: “The NIESR has an unparalleled reputation when it comes to the analysis of complex economic activity.
“Assisted by some of the country’s leading economists, I believe this project has the potential to make an authoritative contribution to both the scientific and policy debate.”
The project will conclude in the early summer, with a report published that will assist policymakers, the treasury and wider government during their consultation for the gambling review white paper.