New government-led study to explore gambling and its societal impact in the UK

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The UK's National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR) will lead a research project to study the economic and social effects of gambling. The government-led body hopes that the research project will help the government review the 2005 Gambling Act. It will specifically focus on gambling's effects on "individuals and communities," as well as the wider society.

NIESR also seeks to provide an economic assessment of the economic consequences of gambling using existing research and theoretical models to simulate the effects of different policy options. The project is expected to end in summer 2022. A report will be published at the same time.

Professor Adrian Pabst, Deputy Director and Research Lead at NIESR, commented that gambling is an important part of the UK's economy and social landscape. He added, "[However], we do not have a sufficiently accurate understanding of its benefits and costs, notably the economic costs of gambling-related harm. We welcome this opportunity to conduct a rigorous assessment and help build an impartial evidence base."

Professor Pabst will lead the research team that includes a number of top academic economists, experts in health, Treasury officials, and other government stakeholders. A Gambling Review whitepaper is due to be published in the spring, according to recent announcements.

Dr. James Noyes, the Chair of the Advisory Board, stated that NIESR enjoys an unrivaled reputation for complex economic analysis. He stated that it is an honor to see NIESR bring its vast expertise to the issue of gambling-related harm.

NIESR believes that this project will lay the foundations of a longitudinal study that will further investigate the relationship between gambling and household finances. It explained that the project will use its unique modeling capacity to build upon previous research from think tanks as well as public health officials in order to provide an economic assessment of gambling harm and activity.

NIESR will be able to simulate the effects of various policy options, as well as specific scenarios about the costs of not intervening with certain forms of gambling. This will allow for a comprehensive measurement of the economic consequences of gambling activity.

An advisory board of ten top academic economists and experts in health will assist the research team. This ensures that the research is consistent with the larger policy debate and the UK's National Strategy to Reduce Gambling Harms.