Report
Lived experiences of affected others: Qualitative research
Lived experiences of affected others: Qualitative research
Appendix A - Glossary of key terms
Affected other
A person who has experienced adverse consequences as a result of someone else's gambling. This is most often, though not always, someone close to the person gambling. This definition mirrors that used in the GSGB, which identifies affected others as those who know someone close to them who gambles and who have experienced at least one adverse consequence as a result of that person's gambling in the past 12 months.
Person gambling
Throughout this report, the phrase 'person gambling' refers to the individual whose gambling behaviour has affected the participant. In most cases, this is someone close to them, such as a partner, parent, adult child, sibling, or friend. Where a participant also gambled themselves, 'the person gambling' refers specifically to the other individual whose gambling caused harm, not to the participant's own gambling activity.
Gambling Survey for Great Britain (GSGB)
The Gambling Commission's annual survey of gambling participation, experiences, and consequences among adults aged 18 and over in Great Britain. Since 2023, the GSGB has included a dedicated set of questions on the consequences experienced as a result of someone else's gambling, allowing for analysis of affected others as a distinct group.
Adverse consequences (severe and potential)
The GSGB distinguishes between 2 categories of adverse consequence experienced as a result of someone else's gambling. Severe adverse consequences are those where any experience of them is highly likely to be harmful, for example, relationship breakdown, significant financial loss, or exposure to violence or abuse. Other potential adverse consequences are those which are more likely to be harmful if experienced often, or may be harmful depending on the individual's specific circumstances, for example, reduced spending on everyday items or increased stress. These categories reflect the GSGB framework and do not necessarily indicate how distressing an experience felt to the individual.
Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI)
A widely used questionnaire measuring the severity of gambling behaviour and its potential harms. Scores range from 0 (no risk) to 27 (highest severity). In this research, PGSI scores refer to affected others' own gambling behaviour where relevant. No participants in this research scored above 4. The PGSI is one measure used to assess gambling-related harm; the GSGB's adverse consequences framework was developed in part to capture harms not fully reflected by PGSI scores alone.
Lived Experience Advisory Panel (LEAP)
The Gambling Commission's panel of individuals with lived experience of gambling-related harm, who contribute to research design, ethical oversight, and the communication of findings. LEAP members, including individuals who identify as affected others, played a central role in shaping this research, from design through to analysis.
Entangled gambling
A term used in this report to describe situations where the affected other and the person gambling gambled together, at least initially, before the person gambling's behaviour escalated. This creates a distinct form of harm for the affected other, including guilt, complicity, and difficulty attributing consequences to one person's gambling rather than the other's.
Chronic harm
Persistent harm experienced by affected others who have adjusted their lives around the person gambling's behaviour without ever reaching, or after moving on from, a formal crisis point. Chronic harm may continue for years and often goes unrecognised in current evidence frameworks, which tend to be oriented around acute crisis.
In-person and/or land-based gambling
Gambling that takes place in a physical location, such as a betting shop, bingo hall, or casino. Participants in this research frequently contrasted in-person gambling with online and app-based gambling, describing the former as more visible and bounded.
Online and app-based gambling
Gambling conducted via a website, mobile application, or digital platform. In this research, in-person to online and app-based gambling was often associated with escalation, increased concealment, and delayed recognition of harm by affected others.
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Lived experiences of affected others - Appendix B – Questions in the 'Pause and consider' stage
Last updated: 25 June 2026
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