UKGC to overhaul participation and prevalence statistics collection method
Regulator has appointed a consortium of NatCen Social Research and the University of Glasgow for new pilot project
The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has appointed NatCen Social Research and the University of Glasgow to collect participation and prevalence statistics. In a bid to improve the quality of its adult gambling participation and prevalence figures, the regulator had consulted on proposals to change the way it collects data designed to capture levels of gambling activity, problem gambling rates and gambling participation across the UK. Following responses to the consultation, a competitive tender process was launched to appoint a research partner to lead the pilot phase of the project – with a consortium of the NatCen Social Research and the University of Glasgow (UoG) being appointed. NatCen and UoG, in partnership with Bryson Purdon Social Research, will be testing a new methodology for collecting participation and prevalence statistics, including information on broader gambling harms. The pilot, which will run between October 2021 and March 2022, will involve stakeholder engagement, cognitive testing and a pilot survey using a new push-to-web methodology where participants will complete the survey online. All data will be evaluated once the pilot has been concluded and recommendations will be set for the next stage. “If the pilot is successful, we will continue to evaluate and develop the new approach with the aim of rolling it out on a continuous basis which will see the introduction of a single population survey for the whole of Great Britain and give the Commission the ability to gain timely insights and respond to emerging trends,” the UKGC stated.