Gambling Commission assembles international expert panel on gaming machines

Press release

Date: 27 February 2009

The Gambling Commission has assembled an international panel of experts on gaming machines research as part of its ongoing research into high-stake high prize gaming machines.

The panel members were confirmed earlier this month and are considering some questions on the British regulatory approach to machines. The panel will help the Commission develop a research programme focused on gaming machine regulation and minimising harm in the British context.

In March 2008 the Minister for Sport, Gerry Sutcliffe, asked the Commission to prioritise its existing work to identify what further research could be done to understand the impact of high-stake, high-prize gaming machines on problem gamblers.

High-stake, high prize gaming machines include category B2 machines (previously referred to as Fixed Odds Betting Terminals) in casinos and betting shops, category B3 machines in amusement arcades and betting shops and category B3A machines in non-commercial clubs.

The Commission agreed to report back to the Minister on the progress made with research by the end of June 2009 and published a summary of its review of the existing available research last December.  

Matthew Hill, Director of Research, Strategy and Analysis at the Gambling Commission, said:

“We are very pleased to have assembled this group of experts with such an extensive knowledge of the issues surrounding gambling and problem gambling.

“The panel will advise the Commission on further research focused on gaming machine regulation and the evaluation of potential harm minimisation measures. They will also help us to evaluate the findings of any other machines research.”

Experts from Australia, Europe, the United States and New Zealand are included and Dr Jonathan Parke, University of Salford, is helping the Commission to facilitate this work.

The panel members are:

Professor Max Abbott Professor & Dean, Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences Auckland University of Technology
Professor Alex Blaszczynski Professor of Clinical Psychology University of Sydney
Professor Paul Delfabbro Associate Professor of Psychology University of Adelaide
Dr Charles Livingstone Senior Lecturer, Health Science Monash University
Professor Jan McMillen Independent researcher and former Professor of School of Social Sciences Australian National University
Ms Sharen Nisbet Associate Lecturer in the School of Tourism and Hospitality Management Centre for Gambling Education & Research, Southern Cross University
Dr Tony Schellinck CEO & Principal of Focal Research Focal Research (Canada)
Arve Sjolstad Communications Manager Norsk Tipping
Dr Nigel Turner Research Scientist Centre for addiction and mental health, Ontario
Dr Rachel Volberg President of Gemini Research Gemini Research
Dr Richard Wood Chartered Psychologist & Director of Gamres Gamres

 

Notes to editors

The Gambling Commission

  1. The Gambling Commission (the Commission) regulates gambling in the public interest.
  2. The Commission’s objectives are: to prevent gambling from being a source of crime or disorder, being associated with crime or disorder or being used to support crime; to ensure that gambling is conducted in a fair and open way; and, to protect children and other vulnerable people from being harmed or exploited by gambling.
  3. The Commission is responsible for licensing and regulating all commercial gambling in Great Britain other than the National Lottery and spread betting, which are the responsibility of the National Lottery Commission and the Financial Services Authority (FSA) respectively.
  4. Correspondence between Gambling Commission Chairman, Brian Pomeroy, and Minister for Sport, Gerry Sutcliffe, can be found on the Commission website.

Further information

Further information is available from the Commission’s website.

Gambling Commission: John Travers on (0121) 230 6700 or communications@gamblingcommission.gov.uk