UK Gambling Harm Research Expands with University-Led Projects

A new UK-wide research initiative backed by government funding is set to place universities at the center of future gambling harms policy, treatment, and prevention efforts. The newly launched Gambling Harms Research UK (GHR-UK) Evidence Centre will coordinate some of the country’s largest independent gambling studies as regulators and policymakers continue reshaping the sector following the Gambling Act review and introduction of the statutory Gambling Levy.

The programme is funded through the levy system and supported by UK Research and Innovation, with leadership shared between the University of Sheffield, the University of Glasgow, Swansea University, and King’s College London.

Researchers involved in the project say the goal is to strengthen evidence around gambling-related harms while reducing industry influence over future research priorities.

University Of Sheffield Driving Policy and Prevention Research

University of Sheffield will play a major role in developing prevention modelling, treatment analysis, and long-term policy evaluation. Professor John Holmes, Director of the Sheffield Addictions Research Group, said the initiative addresses longstanding evidence gaps that have limited policymakers, health services, and charities trying to respond to gambling harms.

The university is also helping develop future academic expertise through new PhD programmes and research placements involving policymakers, charities, and public health organisations.

Separate Sheffield-led projects will examine how gambling prevention policies affect behaviour, health outcomes, economic costs, and inequalities across different communities. Another partnership led by Sheffield researchers will focus on treatment systems, recovery pathways, and support accessibility.

Researchers involved in the programme also plan to study the role that gambling products, advertising, and broader commercial practices play in gambling-related harm.

University Of Plymouth Focuses on Recovery and Harm Mapping

University of Plymouth has meanwhile been selected to lead one of 19 Innovation Partnerships connected to the GHR-UK programme. The university received £150,000 for an initial 12-month project focused on mapping gambling harms and recovery systems across Britain. Researchers aim to build frameworks examining prevention, protection, treatment, and long-term recovery support.

The Plymouth project brings together organisations including Gordon Moody, Ygam and BetKnowMore UK alongside NHS, public health, and recovery stakeholders.

Researchers will produce evidence reviews, intervention maps, stakeholder registries, and evaluation toolkits designed for use across clinical, research, and public health settings.

The Larger Role in Gambling Policy Debate

The broader GHR-UK programme is part of a wider shift in how Britain approaches gambling harms research. Universities are increasingly being positioned alongside regulators, healthcare providers, and public health agencies as key contributors to future gambling policy.

The centre will also examine emerging areas including the relationship between gambling and video gaming, digital products, consumer behaviour, and technological drivers of harm. A major focus throughout the programme will be maintaining independence from commercial gambling interests while incorporating lived experience into research design and policy discussions.