Report
Understanding and measuring consumer trust in the gambling industry - Full technical report
The understanding and measuring consumer trust in the gambling industry full technical report from The Gambling Commission.
Recommendations for future use
Regular review and stakeholder engagement
It is recommended that bi-annual reviews of consumer trust are conducted to ensure the question set stays relevant and reflects the evolving landscape of the gambling industry. This involves not only maintaining core themes that track established trust factors but also monitoring the emergence of new themes or changes in consumer expectations. To stay ahead of these shifts, regular qualitative research could be conducted with key stakeholders such as the Lived Experience Advisory Panel (LEAP) panel, and consumer groups that interact with the gambling industry. Their insights will provide an up-to-date understanding of the factors influencing trust, particularly in response to changes in regulation, societal attitudes, and industry practices.
Stakeholder engagement could extend beyond research participants to include industry experts, regulators, and consumer advocacy groups. Their perspectives can help identify optional or emerging statements that may require tracking in the future.
For instance, themes such as the role of emerging technologies and artificial intelligence in gambling operations, the use of unlicensed sites or the implementation of enhanced financial risk checks could become increasingly important over time. Monitoring these trends ensures that the survey set remains forward-looking and reflective of issues that impact trust.
Maintaining trackability of the core index
One of the strengths of the core trust index score is its ability to provide consistent and reliable measurements over time. The current statement index has been built using a robust assessment of the most important factors driving trust. Altering the core statements too frequently risks introducing noise into the data, which can undermine the ability to track trends effectively. Changes to the index should therefore be made cautiously and only when there is strong evidence that new themes are both critical and enduring. A measured approach ensures that the index reflects evolving trust dynamics without sacrificing its long-term trackability. When changes are necessary, a repeat of tools like Maximum Difference (MaxDiff) and factor analysis could be employed to test the relative importance of new themes against the existing factors. This ensures that any updates to the index are evidence-based and add meaningful value. At the same time, optional or emerging statements can be tested separately to gauge their relevance before inclusion in the survey set, or integration into the core index.
Using the GSGB data to further investigate different audiences
The primary aim of this study was to give an overview of the most pertinent drivers of trust in the gambling industry for those who gamble. Future use of the data could deep dive into how the index score and individual statements within it differ for different consumer audiences. For example, there may be value in an assessment of the most important trust factor for those with a higher propensity to gamble, or with a higher Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI) score. Data from the Gambling Survey for Great Britain (GSGB) survey will provide robust sample sizes to analyse different audiences with greater confidence.
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Appendices - Trust technical report
Last updated: 23 July 2026
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