• About this study
• Our findings

Qualitative follow-up of the British Gambling Prevalence Survey 2007

About this study

The purpose of this study was to find out about people's experiences of gambling and problem gambling, and to examine the support advailable to them.

Our three key findings from the study were that:

there are four different types of gamblers,

that people moved in and out of compulsive gambling, and

that some compulsive gamblers felt in control of their gambling.

You can read more findings from the study here, or you can download the full report here.

The four types of gamblers we identified were:

peripheral gamblers, who didn't always see what they were doing as gambling.

gambling enthusiasts, who gambled frequently but felt no compulsion to do so.

business gamblers, who gambled for money.

compulsive gamblers, who felt they had a problem with gambling.

Our interviews revealed that people moved in and out of these categories at different points in their lives, including those who described themselves as feeling compelled to gamble at some point.

Timeline

Potential policy impact

This study will help policy makers set rules for companies that offer gambling as a leisure activity. It will help these companies foster an environment that balances the freedom to gamble with safeguards to prevent harm.

Methods

We carried out in-depth interviews with 43 gamblers who had taken part in the 2007 Gambling Prevalence Survey, which was also conducted by NatCen. The people interviewed varied in terms of whether they had a problem with gambling, and all interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed with the support of FrameWork, NatCen's qualitative data management software.

In collaboration with

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Of interest: