Projects & Research Partnerships

Background

The UK's approach to tackling gambling harms is undergoing significant change, driven by the government's Gambling White Paper, updated NICE guidelines and the introduction of a statutory levy.

However, support for people and families affected by gambling harm remains fragmented, with services provided across the NHS, third-sector organisations and peer-support networks. Access to support and experiences of gambling harm also vary across different regions and communities.

There is a need for stronger evidence about how support and treatment can be improved, how services can work together, and how commercial practices that contribute to harm can be addressed.

Project overview

Gambling Harms Research and Innovation Partnerships (GHRIPs) are a UKRI programme designed to bring researchers and stakeholders together to address important gaps in the evidence on gambling-related harms and develop evidence-informed solutions. The programme is being delivered in two phases: Phase One focuses on building partnerships, understanding the existing evidence and identifying research priorities, while Phase Two will support a co-designed programme of activity over up to four years.

This 12-month project is Phase One of a GHRIP focused on gambling harm support, treatment and recovery. Led by Professor Matt Field and Jennifer Brown at the University of Sheffield, it will identify priority research questions and explore how future research and innovation could improve support and recovery.

The project will use these findings to develop a proposal for a four-year Phase Two programme, setting out the research priorities and activities needed to improve gambling harm support, treatment and recovery across the UK.

Project aims

The project focuses on three broad research aims:

• Improving support and treatment: Identifying which interventions may be most effective and cost-effective for different populations.
• Connecting support and recovery services: Exploring how NHS services, third-sector organisations and peer-support networks can work together to improve continuity of support.
• Understanding commercial influences on harm: Investigating how gambling products and commercial practices affect harm and recovery, and how support services and regulation could better protect people.

Research questions will be identified and prioritised with stakeholders, alongside assessment of the feasibility of potential studies for the Phase 2 programme.

Research approach

The project is organised into four interconnected work packages:

• WP1: Building the partnership (Months 1–3): Establishing diverse and inclusive partnerships across NHS services, third-sector organisations, local decision-makers and people with lived experience.
• WP2: Developing research priorities (Months 1–6): Reviewing existing evidence and conducting collaborative workshops to identify and prioritise research questions.
• WP3: Feasibility and implementation planning (Months 7–10): Exploring potential research designs, implementation challenges, cost-effectiveness and opportunities for impact. Up to four potential projects will be developed further.
• WP4: Developing the Phase 2 application (Months 10–12): Bringing together the findings to co-produce a four-year research programme application.

Equity, diversity and inclusion are embedded throughout the project. People with lived experience will have paid and visible roles in project governance and design, while practical barriers to participation will be addressed.

Anticipated outcomes and policy impact

This project will establish the research priorities and feasibility plans needed to develop a future programme of research on gambling harm support and recovery.

Key outputs will include:

• A publicly shareable Priorities Report setting out co-produced research questions and initial logic models and outcome sets.
• An Implementation and Feasibility Report covering potential study designs, delivery partners, safeguarding and inclusion considerations, and early health-economic planning.
• A fully co-designed application for a four-year Phase 2 research programme.

In the longer term, the programme aims to generate evidence to inform the design and delivery of more effective and accessible support and treatment, strengthen links between NHS and third-sector services, and support local and national policymakers in addressing gambling-related harms.

Project team

Matt Field (Project Co-Lead) University of Sheffield
Jen Brown (Project Co-Lead), University of Sheffield
Liddy Goyder, University of Sheffield
Rebecca Clarke, University of Sheffield
Ben Jones, Gambling Harm UK
Naman Jawaid, GamLearn
Amanda Roberts, Loughborough University
Jacqueline Howard, Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
Paul Evans, Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust