Report
Lived experiences of affected others: Qualitative research
Lived experiences of affected others: Qualitative research
Recommendations for further research
Qualitative research with PGSI 8 and over affected others
No participants in this sample scored above 4 on the PGSI, meaning the experiences of affected others with more engaged gambling behaviours of their own remain unexamined. This is a significant gap. The Gambling Survey for Great Britain (GSGB) data shows that affected others who gamble are 4.8 times more likely to score between 8 and 27 on the PGSI than the wider group of participants who gambled in the last 12 months. Recruiting this group requires a different framing: approaching potential participants as people who gamble, rather than as affected others, is likely to be more effective given the additional stigma and complexity involved.
Entangled gambling
This research identified a group of affected others for whom gambling was a shared activity with the person gambling, at least initially, and before the person gambling’s behaviour escalated. The guilt, complicity, and attribution complexity experienced by this group is distinct from the broader affected other experience and warrants dedicated research. This research should focus particularly on cases where both the affected other and person gambling score higher on the PGSI, where the dynamics are likely to be most complex.
Longitudinal tracking of chronic and legacy harms
The GSGB's 12-month reference window does not lend itself to the capture of the cumulative and legacy nature of affected other harm. A longitudinal study tracking affected others over time, particularly those in the chronic phase described in this research, would directly address the Commission’s evidence roadmap priority on legacy harms, and provide a more accurate picture of how harm develops, persists, and resolves.
Focused deep dives: minoritised communities, and impacts on affected children
Two areas need more focused research beyond a general sample. First, there are differences between communities. Affected others in some ethnic, religious, or close-knit groups may face extra barriers - like stigma or pressure to keep issues within the family - that are not fully captured in broader studies. Second, children living with a parent or carer who gambles harmfully have unique experiences. Their needs are different from adults, so they are likely to require different kinds of support.
A note on further research recommendations
These recommendations support the Commission’s evidence roadmap by helping build a clearer picture of how gambling affects both people who gamble and those around them. They directly address key priorities, including long-term or legacy harms, how harm develops over time, experiences of underrepresented groups, and how gambling products contribute to harm for affected others.
Research aligned to these roadmap priorities can be undertaken by a range of parties, including academics, independent researchers, and third sector organisations, and is not solely for the Commission to take forward. The Commission’s evidence roadmaps make clear that identifying the right body to lead each area of research is part of how the evidence base develops most effectively.
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Last updated: 25 June 2026
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