Area of investment and support

Area of investment and support: UKRI Research Programme on Gambling

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) has been allocated funding via the new Government Levy on Gambling license holders, to run a programme of research funding dedicated to tackling gambling harms.

UKRI has established a ‘Research Programme on Gambling’ which has a budget of around £20 to £25 million per year for the next five years (potential for extension). So far, we have delivered three funding opportunities under the programme, with two more currently open.

Budget:
The average annual budget for this programme is £20 million.
Duration:
This is an ongoing programme with multiple funding opportunities, running from 2025 to 2030, with the potential for extension.
Partners involved:
UKRI-wide, all councils.

The scope and what we're doing

The UKRI Research Programme on Gambling supports world-class, independent research to better understand, prevent and reduce gambling-related harms across the UK. It brings together interdisciplinary expertise, policymakers, practitioners and people with lived experience to strengthen the evidence base and inform action.

This programme forms part of the UK government’s statutory Gambling Levy, which funds activity across three strands:

  • research
  • prevention
  • treatment

UKRI is responsible for delivering the research strand, working in partnership with government and the Gambling Commission to invest in independent, high-quality evidence and capacity building. The programme complements investment in prevention and treatment by generating the evidence needed to inform effective interventions and policy.

The programme covers a broad range of topics related to gambling and its impacts, including (but not limited to):

  • the social, economic, and public health impacts of gambling
  • regulatory and policy interventions, including the role of operator practices and environments
  • the nature, scale, and distribution of gambling-related harms
  • risk and protective factors, including inequalities and vulnerabilities
  • gambling behaviours across different settings (for example online environments, sport, and emerging links with video gaming)
  • prevention, treatment, and recovery approaches

UKRI’s investments focus on building a coordinated, high-quality and independent research ecosystem. Key areas of activity include:

  • Gambling Harms Research UK Evidence Centre (GHR-EC): leading and coordinating a comprehensive, multidisciplinary research programme, identifying evidence gaps, and building research capacity across the UK
  • GHR-UK Research and Innovation Partnerships (GHR-IPs): supporting collaborative projects between academia, public services, third sector organisations and other stakeholders to address priority issues and generate applied insights
  • rapid evidence reviews: synthesising existing knowledge to identify gaps and inform research priorities, policy and practice
  • data and infrastructure development: improving access to, and use of, data to generate new insights and support robust analysis
  • capacity building and skills development: supporting early career researchers and developing a sustainable pipeline of expertise in gambling harms research
  • policy engagement and knowledge exchange (including funded policy fellowships based in government departments): working closely with government, regulators, health bodies and charities to ensure research informs decision-making and public understanding

Why we invest in this area

Gambling-related harms are a significant and complex public health and societal challenge. They affect individuals, families and communities, and have wide-ranging impacts on health, wellbeing and public services. Harmful gambling is estimated to cost the UK economy approximately £1.4 billion each year, including impacts on healthcare and the criminal justice system.

The aims of in the Research Programme on Gambling are to:

  • build a robust, independent and credible evidence base on gambling harms
  • improve understanding of the drivers, impacts and distribution of harm across society
  • support the development of effective prevention, treatment and recovery approaches
  • inform regulation and policy through high-quality, evidence-led research
  • strengthen collaboration between researchers, policymakers, services and people with lived experience

By addressing major evidence gaps and building research capacity, the programme:

  • supports UKRI’s wider strategic priorities to improve public health
  • reduces inequalities
  • ensures that policy and practice are informed by the best available evidence

Opportunities, support and resources available

Events

Current funding opportunities include the following.

Video games and gambling-related harms

Apply for funding to explore the relationship between gambling and video games.

Gambling harms research grants

Apply for funding that deepens understanding or supports solutions for the prevention and treatment of gambling-related harms.

Past projects, outcomes and impact

Rapid evidence reviews

Gambling Harms Research Evidence Centre

Gambling Harms Research Evidence Centre

Research organisation (RO): Gambling Harms Research Evidence Centre

Project lead (PL): Professor Heather Wardle

Gambling Harms Research and Innovation Partnerships

Grace-Net: The Gambling Resilience and Community Engagement Network for Prevention, Protection and Recovery

RO: Lancaster University

PL: Carolyn Downs

Gambling harm prevention modelling-partnership building for Policy Understanding of Long-term health, inequality, Social & Economic outcomes (G-PULSE)

RO: The University of Sheffield

PL: Hazel Squires

LONGitudinal STRuctural drivers of gambling-related harms: building partnerships to IDentify risk factors and build Evidence at Scale (LONG-STRIDES)

RO: University of Southampton

PL: Sam Chamberlain

From Stress to Gambling Harm in Later Life: A Co-Designed Lived Experience Project

RO: University of Leeds

PL: Joshua Weller

Gambling, Sport and Harm: Structural Drivers, Policy Pathways and Prevention

RO: Loughborough University

PL: Steve Sharman

Preventing and recovering from gambling harm: A population-based approach

RO: University of Bristol

PL: Philip Newall

Children and Young People Gambling Harm Research and Innovation Partnership (CYP- GHRIP)

RO: The University of Edinburgh

PL: Fiona Dobbie

ONline Gambling ecosystems: UnderstAnding, Reducing and minimising Digital gambling harms through interdisciplinary partnership building (ON-GUARD)

RO: University of Hertfordshire

PL: Naomi Fineberg

BETTER: Behaviour, Environment and Technology in Tiredness and Excessive Risk

RO: University of York

PL: Scott Cairney

From Evidence to Action: Developing Cross-Sector Partnerships to Safeguard Neurodivergent Young People in Gamified Digital Environments

RO: Bournemouth University

PL: Constantina Panourgia

Building Protections from Gambling Harm: Assessing the Preventative Potential of Lived Experience-Led, Commercial Determinants-Focused Education

RO: London South Bank University

PL: Thomas Mills

Intersectional Gambling Harm Research and Targeted Interventions for Emerging Adults (INTEGRATE)

RO: University of Birmingham

PL: Ameeta Retzer

The lived experience of gambling harm, recovery and resilience: A co-produced framework and network for the future of prevention and intervention

RO: University of Plymouth

PL: James Close

Tackling gambling harms through local licensing

RO: University of Stirling

PL: James Nicholls

Gambling, Crime and Harm: Building Evidence-Based Partnerships for Prevention and Justice Reform

RO: Loughborough University

PL: Amanda Roberts

ADVANCE-in-G GHRIP (ADVANCE to address Gambling Related Harms)

RO: The University of Edinburgh

PL: Elizabeth Gilchrist

Research and Innovation in Gambling and Substance Use (RIGS) St Andrews

University of St Andrews

Alexander Baldacchino

Digital Gambling Observatory (DGO): Young Adults

RO: The University of Edinburgh

PL: Liz McFall

A Co-produced Research Partnership to Transform the UK Gambling Harm Support and Recovery System

RO: The University of Sheffield

PL: Matt Field

2025 Policy Fellowships

DHSC securing better health through the prevention of gambling-related harms fellowship

RO: University College London

PL: Lauren Kock

DCMS gambling advertising fellowship

RO: Swansea University

PL: Jamie Torrance

DCMS land-based gambling fellowship

RO: University of Glasgow

PL: Sarah Tipping

Gambling Commission Research and Statistics secondary analysis fellowship

RO: University of Nottingham

PL: Richard James

Smart Data Research UK Fellowships

Online trading as gambling: From smart data to smarter policies

RO: University of Nottingham

PL: Leonardo Cohen

Gambling Harms Rapid Evidence Reviews

The Current Digital Approach To Problem Gambling And Gambling Disorder

RO: University of Southampton

PL: Sam Chamberlain

A rapid scoping review of gambling marketing restrictions

RO: Swansea University

PL: Jamie Torrance

Breaking The Cycle: A Rapid Evidence Review Of Gambling Relapse

RO: University of Southampton

PL: Sam Chamberlain

Rapid Evidence Review Of Tools For Measuring Gambling Disorder And Harms

RO: University of Southampton

PL: Sam Chamberlain

Rapid Evidence Review of Open-Science Practices in Gambling Research

RO: University of Warwick

PL: Elliot Ludvig

Sports engagement as a gateway to gambling activity: a review and intersectional analysis of the compound vulnerabilities to gambling harm

RO: Teesside University

PL: Christopher Wilson

The effects of gambling on ‘affected others’

RO: Tavistock Institute

PL: Thomas Spielhofer

SAGE: Sleep And Gambling in Early life — A Rapid Evidence Review

RO: University of St Andrews

PL: Emma Louise Gale

Putting gambling harms in their place: A Rapid Evidence Review on gambling and its spatial footprint

RO: Aston University

PL: Tasos Kitsos

Crypto-Gambling and Sport: A Rapid Evidence Review of Practice and Literature

RO: Coventry University

PL: Tom Bason

Sport-Environment Determinants of Gambling Initiation and Escalation: A Systematic Review

RO: University of Ulster

PL: Paul Kitchin

Menstrual Change and Gambling: A Hybrid Review

University of East London

John Turner

Mapping the Legal and Ethical Implications of Automated Harm Detection in Gambling: A Rapid Scoping Review

RO: Northumbria University

PL: Rachel Allsopp

Artificial Intelligence for the identification and management of problematic gambling

RO: University of Bradford

PL: Joshua Pink

Evaluation Frameworks for Gambling Harm Reduction: A Rapid Evidence Review of Approaches for Assessing Interventions in the UK

RO: University of Plymouth

PL: Ryan Statton

Digital Technologies, Artificial Intelligence, and Gambling Harms Among Children and Young People: A Rapid Evidence Review

RO: University of Warwick

PL: Nomisha Kurian

Gambling and Crime: Rapid Evidence Review

RO: Loughborough University

PL: Amanda Roberts

Gambling and Older People: Rapid Evidence Review

RO: Loughborough University

PL: Amanda Roberts

Cryptocurrency and the Normalisation of Gambling: A Rapid Evidence Review

RO: University of Birmingham

PL: Anthony Pickles

What real-world evidence is available on population-level policies to reduce gambling harm to inform health economic modelling?

RO: The University of Sheffield

PL: Ellen McGrane

Predictors and moderators of treatment response in interventions for gambling: A rapid evidence review and meta-analysis

RO: The University of Sheffield

PL: Jessica Beard

Is Political Gambling a Unique Harm? A Rapid Evidence Review

RO: University of Birmingham

PL: Anthony Pickles

Gambling, Indebtedness, and Suicide: The Roles of Shame, Gender, and Culture in Help-Seeking

RO: University of Staffordshire

PL: Sharon Mallon

Intersectionality in gambling related harm

RO: The University of Sheffield

PL: Lindsay Blank

Gambling and neurodivergence: a rapid evidence review

RO: University of Sussex

PL: Hussien Elkholy

A rapid evidence review of gambling harms in ethnic and faith minority communities

RO: University of Birmingham

PL: Sonia Mavi

Intergenerational gambling harms: A rapid evidence review of impacts and interventions for children and young people

RO: University of Nottingham

PL: Ilze Bogdanovica

Exploring the current evidence base on the prevalence of gambling sponsorship in sport, and the implications for regulation

RO: University of Bristol

PL: Maria Moxey

Social Media and Gambling a Rapid Evidence Review (RER)

RO: University of York

PL: Amanda Elizabeth Perry

Systematic Review Update: Psychological Interventions and Gambling in the Criminal Justice System

RO: University of York

PL: Amanda Elizabeth Perry

Exploring the Intersecting Drivers of Gambling Harm: A Rapid Evidence Review

RO: The University of Edinburgh

PL: Alex Kwong

Creation of a systematic evidence gap map for commercial determinants of gambling harms

RO: University of Bristol

PL: Frank de Vocht

Who to contact

Ask a question about this area of investment

UKRI RPG Team

Email: rpginfo@ahrc.ukri.org

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Last updated: 13 August 2026

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