The Gambling Survey for Great Britain (GSGB) is up for a major overhaul following the Office for Statistics Regulation’s (OSR) review of the Gambling Survey published on May 22. The Gambling Commission, which oversees the Gambling Survey, had called for an independent evaluation to ensure its insights remain neutral, accurate, and useful for all iGaming stakeholders. The OSR put forth nine recommendations, which the UKGC plans to implement in phases.
Highlights of the Story
- The Gambling Survey gathers insights into player behaviour, participation, and potential harm. It is a crucial information source for the UK’s iGaming stakeholders.
- The OSR recommended 9 improvements for the GSGB, including data quality, transparency, and accessibility.
- The Gambling Commission launched a GSGB User Statistics User Group, which is a forum for discussion, shared learnings, and feedback.
GSGB, A Key Instrument for Gambling Insights
The Gambling Survey is a one-of-a-kind tool for gathering data on gambling patterns, behaviour, and dangers across the British market. The survey was relaunched in 2024 after years of development. It is now a crucial source of gambling statistics in the UK. However, as the iGaming landscape continues to evolve, so do industry expectations of how data should be collected and communicated.
To keep up with the demands of evolution, the UK Gambling Commission employed the OSR’s services for a compliance review. The OSR review commended the Gambling Commission’s efforts for change. The report stated, “The Gambling Commission has undertaken a huge responsibility in improving the GSGB, and we appreciate the team’s effort and commitment.”
The OSR also recommended several updates to the survey to bring it up to modern standards. “The survey must undergo significant improvements to ensure the appropriate use of these statistics by better understanding and more effectively communicating the uncertainty of the estimates.”
The OSR’s Recommendations at a Glance
The OSR laid out 9 recommendations to the Gambling Commission for strengthening its survey. These suggestions focus on improving data transparency and quality to help people who use them. Here is a brief overview of the OSR’s recommendations.
- Create a Roadmap for Improvement: Create a detailed plan for implementing the proposed changes.
- Improve Quality Controls and Data Checks: Review and reinforce existing systems that test the reliability and accuracy of the statistics.
- Take Neutral Decisions: Identify and isolate biases in the survey and explain how they could affect the results.
- Cross-reference Statistics with Other Databases: Compare the survey results with established databases, such as the Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey and the Health Survey for England, to add context to the figures.
- Create a User Engagement Roadmap: Lay out a roadmap for listening to the feedback of real-world users to better address their concerns.
- Encourage Feedback and Scrutiny: Listen to suggestions from real users and use the feedback to improve how the survey is run.
- Increase the Stakeholder Mix: Collaborate with a broader mix of entities, including reporting and analysis agencies.
- Create a Communications SOP: Create a roadmap of how survey updates and results will be shared with users and stakeholders.
- Make the Data Accessible: Present the statistics in a more user-friendly format so that they’re accessible to the general public.
Evaluating the Future of the Gambling Survey
OSR’s recommendations come at a time when the methodology behind the Gambling Survey is under evaluation by industry peers. Speaking on the subject, Ben Haden, Director of Research and Statistics at the UKGC, said:
We welcome the OSR’s findings, both the public statement about their casework related to the GSGB and the overall review. We are pleased that they appreciate all the effort and commitment our team has put into creating the largest survey of its kind in the world. We acknowledge the OSR’s recommendations for further improvement, which closely align with our vision and the steps that are already underway.
Although the GSGB is not recognised as an official statistical source, the OSR clarified that this does not diminish its quality or reliability. The Gambling Commission has updated its guidance for users and launched a community forum called the GSGB Statistics User Group, and 70 stakeholders have already expressed an interest in joining. The Gambling Commission is expected to make a final announcement on the improvements by July 2025.
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