New qualitative research on affected others: embedding lived experience from the outset
Our Senior Research and Statistics Analyst Amandeep Manku introduces new qualitative research looking at affected others.
Posted 25 June 2026 by Amandeep Manku
Under our 'Gambling-related harm and vulnerability' evidence theme, one of our roadmaps focuses on understanding the impact on people who gamble and affected others.
We recently published findings from the Gambling Survey for Great Britain (GSGB), exploring the prevalence of adults affected by someone else’s gambling, who they are, and the consequences they experience. In this analysis, we found that almost two thirds (63 percent) of affected others had gambled themselves in the past 12 months – a finding that helped shape the aims of the qualitative research we are publishing today.
These new qualitative insights, delivered by Humankind Research, go beyond the numbers and complement the quantitative picture, further helping to strengthen our Evidence Roadmap. This research was funded by the statutory gambling levy (opens in new tab).
What was found?
This research shows that harms experienced by someone else's gambling are closely linked; health, relationship and financial impacts often build on and reinforce each other.
The relationship between those affected and the person gambling also shapes the nature of harm. Partners often experienced ongoing, wide-ranging harm, while parents, adult children, siblings, friends and colleagues described more specific impacts.
For affected others who also gamble, this was sometimes seen as a shared social activity that supported bonding. However, some found their own gambling became tied up with the other person’s, leading to guilt and difficulty understanding responsibility for the harm. Although this dynamic was identified, further research is needed to fully understand it.
How did we approach this research to ensure that participants were safeguarded?
Given the sensitivity of the topic and vulnerability of the group, we brought in our Lived Experience Advisory Panel (LEAP) early on. We also followed our newly published Research governance framework to make sure we met the requirements for ethical approval.
LEAP members acted as a gateway to recruiting some of the harder to reach participants. This included individuals who had experienced severe adverse consequences from someone else’s gambling but had already accessed support and could still access it if needed. This approach helped address recruitment challenges while ensuring the research was conducted in an ethical way.
According to the researchers, what was the value of embedding lived experience at the outset?
Humankind Research shared their thoughts below.
“Lived experience brings a depth of understanding that no amount of secondary research can replicate, particularly when the topic is something people have rarely been given space to talk about. It was important to us, as with any research concerning vulnerable groups, to make sure we were engaging with the lived experience perspective early on in the process, and extend that engagement through to the point of sharing back insights.
"Having LEAP involved throughout, from shaping the research design through to providing assurance on our findings, enabled us to approach the work with a level of sensitivity and understanding that's hard to achieve any other way. That made a real difference to what people felt able to share with us, which also meant the quality of the data we were able to collect was improved as a result. We're really grateful to everyone on the LEAP and all the participants who took part.” - Humankind Research
How did LEAP members reflect upon the research, and what was it like being involved?
A couple of the LEAP panel members shared their thoughts:
LEAP member:
“I gambled from a very young age. My parents weren’t aware my addiction was progressing – so I never caused them any problems. With age I became resilient and managed to cope in my own way with the constant debt and stress but looking back, I realise it was a lonely place.
"As I became older, got married [and] had children, my gambling continued and became a serious problem for me. What I didn’t realise at the time was the many different negative emotions I caused for my family - upset, distress, confusion, sadness, anger, to name a few. Clearly the problem was not just a serious problem for me, it was also a serious problem for my family.
"Once I finally realised my gambling behaviours were causing my family such hardship and had the realistic possibility of ruining a family’s future, I decided the gambling had to stop. I am fortunate, my family stuck by me and after around 30 years of compulsive gambling I managed to enter recovery.
"Seven years on, I am pleased to say that I still take my “recovery” from gambling addiction seriously.
"Amongst other activities, I have been involved in research connected to the Gambling Commission which acknowledges the negative impacts that a problem gamblers behaviours have on others.
"I am proud to say I have been involved in this research and hope it provides the necessary information and insight to ensure those affected others are identified and the appropriate help and advice is more readily available to those that need it. I believe it will.”
LEAP member:
“Using lived experience to support recruitment can help break down barriers and create trust, particularly when discussing something as sensitive as gambling harm. Being involved in this research was a reminder of how important it is that affected others are not only heard but recognised as experiencing harm in their own right.”
What’s next?
This research has generated rich insights, and there’s more to follow. A companion report will be published in the coming months, offering recommendations for practice and future research, relevant to those working within the prevention, education and treatment sectors.
We’ll also continue to draw on lived experience throughout our consumer voice programme of research.