A monitoring and evaluation plan for the UK Gambling Act review will be developed by the National Centre for Social Research, a not-for-profit social research organisation.
NatCen has been commissioned by the Department of Culture, Media & Sport and the UK Gambling Commission to produce the plan to “establish the evaluation design to address how effective the Gambling Act review has been in preventing gambling-related harm to vulnerable groups and wider communities, gambling behaviours and the gambling market”.
“We are delighted to work on this project, to develop this monitoring and evaluation plan of the vital Gambling Act review,” commented Dr Sokratis Dinos, Director of Health Policy at NatCen.
“The past decade has seen a significant shift in the perspective of gambling harms, and this contract is pivotal in providing feasible approaches and practical recommendations.”
NatCen’s evaluation of the Gambling Act review will consider if the “appropriate balance” has been taken into account between consumer freedoms and prevention of harm to vulnerable groups and wider communities.
In addition, the social research organisation will also analyse if suitable protections are in place for customers no matter when or where they gamble, as well as if there is an “equitable approach” to online and land-based regulation.
In co-design with the DCMS and UKGC, a Theory of Change will be developed by NatCen, which will utilise document analysis to “ensure that the evaluation design is considered in the full context of recent changes in the gambling landscape”.
As a result, the social research organisation’s plan will consider “feasible approaches and practical recommendations” for the evaluation’s implementation.
Dinos added: “This evaluation will consider the extent to which measures have effectively prevented gambling-related harm to vulnerable groups and wider communities, whilst enabling the balance of consumer freedom and informed choice, and explore the wider impact on gambling behaviours and the market.”
