Prevention of Gambling Harm - Multi-disciplinary Research Hub

Description

The aim of the Research Hub is the minimisation of gambling-related harm through positive measures taken by service providers facilitating online gambling.

The members' research focuses on what open banking API developers, banks, lenders, gambling operators and their technology providers can do to minimise harm.

Members believe an effective prevention strategy should involve as many stakeholders as possible and develop regulatory standards based on evidence-based research. The fintech and payments industry plays a key role in protecting customers from gambling harm and recent advances in artificial intelligence and data science should be harnessed to better protect online gamblers. Members believe that if such measures are implemented in a transparent way, through industry initiative or regulation, this would significantly reduce the social and economic harms caused by online gambling.

The methodology will involve a mix of data science, surveys and in-depth interviews with experts by experience, legal analysis and industry interviews.

Members focus on the requirements for open banking APIs used for fraud prevention, anti-money laundering and affordability checks. The aim of members' research is to prevent misuse of open banking data for marketing purposes exploiting financial vulnerabilities of customers. Secondly, they examine the effectiveness of gambling blocks offered by banks and other protective measures taken by banks. Thirdly, they research correlations between particular gambling behaviours and suicide by examining largescale banking data in order to extrapolate suicide prevention measures banks could take. Fourthly, they plan to work with some online gambling service providers to examine the effectiveness of early identification of vulnerable or at risk players. The aim is to identify better datapoints for establishing a reliable risk profile that triggers early interventions (slowing down, limiting deposits/stakes, communication, nudging towards self-exclusion, exclusion). Furthermore, they examine other protective measures taken by the gambling industry, including regular statements on gambling expenditure and losses. Finally, members undertake research on better understanding how gamblers get into debt and how responsible lending standards should be improved to address online gambling risks specifically.

Offers funding

No, this infrastructure does not provide funding.

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University affiliation(s)

Queen Mary, University of London
London

Partner Infrastructures

Centre for Commercial Law Studies (CCLS), Queen Mary

In 1980, Sir Roy Goode decided to create an environment where practising commercial lawyers and those from academia could meet and exchange ideas. His vision was that by bringing together these differ… read more about Centre for Commercial Law Studies (CCLS), Queen Mary

London

Wolfson Institute of Population Health (WIPH)

The Wolfson Institute of Population Health was formed in August 2021, merging the former Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine (founded in 1991) and the Institute of Population Health Sciences (fou… read more about Wolfson Institute of Population Health (WIPH)

London