The development of the Gambling Survey for Great Britain (GSGB) has received a significant endorsement from Professor Patrick Sturgis of the London School of Economics, marking a crucial step towards the production of reliable and comprehensive gambling statistics for the nation.
GSGB Receives Acclaim for Methodological Excellence and Innovative Approach
The independent assessment, released on February 19, lauded the GSGB’s methodological approach, describing it as “exemplary in all respects.” Professor Sturgis, while acknowledging the importance of the survey’s development, also offered several recommendations aimed at addressing key unresolved issues.
The GSGB represents a departure from previous methodologies, transitioning from quarterly telephone interviews to a ‘push-to-web’ survey focused solely on gambling activities. This shift, according to Sturgis, allows for a considerably larger sample size, with an anticipated 20,000 annual responses compared to the previous 4,000.
In his evaluation, Sturgis highlighted the success of the pilot study conducted by the UK Gambling Commission in January and February 2022, which yielded 1,078 responses. The survey’s response rate of 21% was deemed comparable to similar ‘push-to-web’ surveys conducted in the UK, indicating its feasibility and potential for accurate population estimates.
“The move to self-completion was the correct decision,” stated Sturgis, emphasizing the necessity of adapting survey methodologies to address declining response rates and the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic. He commended the UK Gambling Commission for consulting widely with stakeholders and adhering to industry standards in developing the GSGB.
UKGC Embraces Sturgis’s Recommendations for Improved Gambling Data
Despite endorsing the survey’s development, Sturgis outlined seven recommendations for the UK Gambling Commission to address remaining unresolved issues. These recommendations include conducting research to understand survey response biases, evaluating question biases for online respondents, and exploring opportunities to benchmark GSGB estimates against face-to-face interviews in the future.
Tim Miller, executive director of the UK Gambling Commission, welcomed Sturgis’s recommendations, reaffirming the commission’s commitment to leveraging better data for improved regulation and outcomes. Miller emphasized the importance of understanding the impact of changes to the survey design and methodology, signaling a commitment to ongoing evolution and improvement.
The endorsement of the GSGB marks a significant milestone in the quest for more accurate and comprehensive gambling statistics in the UK.
The UK Gambling Commission aims to enhance gambling regulations by improving data collection methodologies, believing that better data leads to better regulation and outcomes.
Through extensive consultations and collaboration with stakeholders, including the government and academic experts, the Commission made significant progress in developing the GSGB, to produce reliable statistics to inform policymaking and ensure effective regulation of the gambling sector.