Annual GB Treatment and Support Survey
We commission the Annual GB Treatment and Support Survey, our main source of evidence for building up an understanding of gambling harms and the needs of people who gamble in Great Britain.
This page outlines the reports and resources that have been produced using this dataset.
The Treatment and Support Survey has been conducted every year since 2019, by YouGov1. It uses a random a sample of 18,000 adults (aged 18+) in Great Britain, making it one of the largest surveys looking into gambling harms worldwide2.
The main focus of the survey is to monitor the demand and usage of treatment and support for gambling harms over time. It is particularly useful at showing how rates of gambling harms vary across different groups of people and areas3.
Annual GB Treatment and Support Survey reports
Every year, YouGov produces a main report, which sets out the key findings and trends in the latest data. The survey data is supplemented with interviews and focus groups among key audiences to provide depth to the findings and themes uncovered.
2022 Report - This report took a deep dive into relapse, cost of living, the stigma around gambling harm and early exposure to gambling and gambling harms.
2021 Report - This report took a deep dive into the interactions between gambling and other health behaviours (e.g., alcohol, smoking, psychological distress). It also suggested a wider group of affected others that included children, and produced population estimates for the number experiencing problems with gambling.
Read historical reports:
Annual GB Treatment and Support Survey data tables
Since 2021, we have published the aggregated data tables for those who would like to further explore the Treatment and Support Survey data.
Local authority and parliamentary constituency heat maps
We have produced heat maps, which show how the level of gambling harms and demand for support vary across the country. These maps have been produced for all local authorities and all parliamentary constituencies in Great Britain.
Within these maps you can search for a particular area in Great Britain, and it brings up the data for that area*, as well as an infographic on the gambling harms.
Parliamentary constituency maps
*Please note that the data may not exactly match the raw data found within the tables above (as mentioned this data is statistically modelled to ensure robustness).
More detailed briefing documents are available for each region / local authority / parliamentary constituency. Please email research@gambleaware.org to receive a copy.
Bespoke research using the Survey data
Gambling and mental health
The Annual GB Treatment and Support Survey is a rich source of data that can be used for other research focused on specific topics to do with gambling. From time to time, we commission other organisations to carry out further research using this data.
This report, carried out by Alma Economics, examined in detail the relationship between gambling harm severity and various aspects of a person’s mental health. The study found that there is a significant link between higher rates of gambling harms and declining mental health.
Press release: GambleAware publishes research into links between mental health and gambling harms
Problem gambling severity index
This report conducted by Ipsos UK, provides recommendations and discussion points for the future interpretation and use of PGSI by those wishing to understand and reduce the scale of gambling problems.
2023 Full report - Problem severity index
2023 Extended summary report - Problem gambling severity index
Press release: GambleAware publishes independent review of scale used to identify gambling harm
Annual GB Treatment and Support Survey methodology
The methodology can be found within each annual report, however we have previously commissioned a report investigating how methodological differences between surveys affects the accuracy of estimates of gambling harm.
Share your feedback
We are always keen to hear how our research is used and would welcome any feedback or ideas. You can contact us about our research by emailing us on research@gambleaware.org.
References
1 Most of the survey questions stay relatively consistent between years to ensure change can be measured over time, with the largest change between 2019 to 2020 (where the structure of survey and sample size was changed and has now been consistent since 2020)
2 It is worth noting that although the prevalence of “problem gambling” (denoted by a score of 8+ on the Problem Gambling Severity Index) is collected, our survey is not the source of official statistics, which will be produced by the Gambling Commission from 2024 onwards
3 Understanding the value of the Annual GB Treatment and Support Survey https://www.begambleaware.org/sites/default/files/2022-03/Understanding%20the%20value%20of%20the%20Annual%20GB%20Treatment%20and%20Support%20Survey.pdf