The Gambling Commission (GC) has warned that the results of the annual Gambling Survey for Great Britain (GSGB) should not be compared with previous surveys.
The GC is due to publish its latest tranche of data next Thursday (25 July) to provide insights into gambling participation and harm prevalence in Great Britain. The first wave was published in February.
GSGB sets new baseline for research
However, the Commission said in lengthy guidance on its website that statistics in the new GSGB have been “collected using a different methodology than previous official statistics”.
Accordingly, the Commission said that “the GSGB is not directly comparable with results from previous surveys and direct comparisons should not be used to assess trends over time”. Instead, it added, the new survey should represent the “first year of a new baseline”.
The GC said: “All surveys are subject to a range of potential biases which may affect results. The GSGB, the prior health surveys and gambling surveys are no different.
“There is a risk that the GSGB may overstate some gambling behaviours and therefore estimates should be used with some caution.”
“Unreliable data”?
The guidance drew criticism from Melanie Ellis, a partner in betting and gaming at Northridge Law.
She said on LinkedIn: “The Gambling Review white paper promised to ‘deliver real change’. Once the dust has settled on the ongoing reforms, it stands to reason that we will need some way of measuring whether real change has been achieved.
“How on earth will we have any way of assessing whether the white paper reforms have delivered ‘real change’, when we will have no reliable way of assessing whether rates of gambling-related harm have reduced since before their introduction?
“In light of this guidance, I would urge the Commission to reconsider whether it is wise to release apparently unreliable data as official statistics.”
New research methods
In May 2023, the GC released an evidence gaps and priorities paper spanning the years 2023 to 2026. It outlined the Commission’s intention to undertake evidence-based research on areas like gateway gambling products and gambling harms.
The GSGB utilises a push-to-web method, in which users are encouraged to participate online before a paper questionnaire is offered as an alternative. This contrasts with the telephone survey data collected in previous GC surveys.
Before the first wave of research was published, three experimental stages were conducted with a National Centre for Social Research-led project to ensure the survey was “robust and fit for official statistics”.
The GSGB also underwent an independent review by Professor Patrick Sturgis at the London School of Economics. He described the study as “exemplary in all respects”.
Previous criticism
The GC has previously faced criticism over its use of statistics.
Industry veteran David Brown outlined his concerns about the Commission’s representation of affordability checks data in a 2023 interview with iGB.
Following Sturgis’ review, gambling advisory business Regulus Partners stated there was “little to dispel” concerns over the GSGB’s use of statistics.
