Guidance
Exploring Drivers of Consumer Trust in Gambling
Exploring Drivers of Consumer Trust in Gambling
Scoping phase findings
Overview
To build a strong foundation for the qualitative phase and to better establish the scope of the research, Yonder firstly conducted desk research into the topic of trust, delving into how this topic is understood and tracked across sectors. Within this, financial services, government and institutions, and the pharmaceutical industry, were examined and drew attention to several themes within the context of trust-building.
Influence of regulation (or perceived regulation): The UK’s Trust in Food index report from 2022 (pdf) (opens in new tab), noted that the general public’s trust in the UK food industry derived from a broad conviction that the regulatory system that existed was doing its job. This is despite the fact that only a few consumers can actually name specific assurance schemes or food regulatory systems. This suggests that the mere belief that regulation exists can have an impact on trust.
Dimensions of capability and character in driving trust: Research from the Association of British Pharmaceutical Industry (BPI) reputation conference in October 2023 (opens in new tab) sought to demonstrate how trust in an organisation stems from capability and character. Capability is understood as how competent the organisation is in delivering quality products or services, and character relates to its honesty, integrity and ethical behaviour. Strong capability is thought to ensure reliability, while strong character helps to foster confidence in fair and principled actions. Together, the report highlighted how these dimensions play a role in building trust.
A spread of frameworks for measuring and tracking trust were also reviewed, including:
- the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) drivers of trust (opens in new tab) in public institutions, measuring performance across 5 drivers of trust including responsiveness, reliability, integrity, fairness, and openness
- the financial sector model by Moin, Devlin, and McKechnie (pdf)(opens in new tab) focused on trust between institutions and consumers, and consumers’ propensity or commitment to take the risk of trusting institutions
- the Edelman Trust Barometer's annual trust and credibility survey (opens in new tab) covering a range of industries including governments and non-governmental organisations (NGO’s) and the media
- Yonder Consulting’s internal reputation model: a framework designed and used by Yonder Consulting that assesses corporate reputation through intensity and sentiment metrics.
The desk research exercise also incorporated insights from the Gambling Commission (the Commission) itself, including a review of complaints data collected through their Contact Centre, and previous online tracker survey results on trust.
Subsequent to this, Yonder conducted 2 focus groups with Lived Experience Advisory Panel (LEAP) members. The purpose of this exercise was to gather insight into drivers and barriers of trust within the gambling sector.
Insights from the initial scoping activities helped to establish that independence, impact, integrity and transparency, and customer interaction and/or influence appeared to be integral dimensions of trust in the gambling industry. This context informed the next phases of the research, helping to identify relevant topics for further exploration and validation. For the qualitative phase, these insights served as a springboard for developing the stimulus material created to foster discussion and debate among participants.
There were 8 topics explored within the stimulus which included thought-provoking statements, supported by imagery and evidence, such as press clippings and screenshots from gambling company websites. It focused on the following trust-related areas:
The role and impact of the regulator - for example, awareness of the regulator including its independence and understanding of its role and reach.
Gambling company accountability and fines - for example, the extent to which action is seen to be taken against gambling companies who fall below standards such as through the issuing of fines.
Role of licensing - for example, exploring the role of formal accreditation and licensing.
Safeguarding vulnerable audiences - for example, the prevention of harm amongst vulnerable audiences, children and young people.
Clarity of complaints process - for example, considering whether responsibility should fall on the gambling company or the people who gamble themselves to resolve complaints.
Transparency of terms and conditions - for example, whether those who gamble are able to quickly and easily understand their rights.
Role of customer service - for example, expectations of customer service when gambling online and interactions with staff for in-person gambling.
Fair game play - for example, people being treated the same by gambling companies whether they win or lose, including smooth withdrawal processes.
Exploring Drivers of Consumer Trust in Gambling - Executive Summary Next section
Qualitative phase: key findings
Last updated: 3 October 2024
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