Gambling and Financial Management

An in-depth exploration of the relationship between money and gambling behaviour

About this study

This study aims to understand the relationship between money, debt or financial hardship, and gambling.

In doing so, the research will explore how factors relating to money management, income, financial attitudes and skills can be risk factors for and protective factors against problem gambling.

It will also map the different pathways into gambling‐related debt and/or financial hardship.

There are three early findings briefing papers:

1. Debt and problem gambling: evidence from the Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey

2. Managing money, debt and gambling study: and in-depth exploration of the relationship between money and gambling behaviour

3. Views and experiences of gambling support services

Potential Policy impact

The results of this research will be useful to policy makers, regulators and people who help those who have problems with gambling.

It will provide insight into the factors that contribute to debt and/or financial hardship, help gamblers avoid these problems, and reveal how people address their gambling-related debt.

Timeline

Gambling and Financial Management timeline

Method

The study involves 45 in-depth qualitative interviews with a range of participants. They vary in terms of how much debt they report and to what degree they report having a problem with gambling.

The research will also use quantitative analysis of existing data sets, both to feed into the interviews and to further explore the key themes that emerge during the project.