The Gambling Commission has already made several amendments to GSGB reporting, with other changes to be implemented soon.
The Office for Statistic Regulations (OSR) undertook a study of the annual GSGB review after concerns were raised about its reliability. A report was released in May this year, with the OSR making recommendations for improvements.
At the time the OSR flagged various concerns including how GSGB data is being used. It requested the Gambling Commission consider how the data can be used for comparison to similar studies.
The OSR asked the Commission to provide more detailed information on its quality assurance and validation processes. And to clearly communicate potential biases that may affect the GSGB estimates in statistical releases.
Improving methodology and quality assurance
The first recommendation from the OSR referenced a review of the GSGB by Professor Patrick Sturgis in February 2024. Sturgis urged the Commission to address unresolved issues about how the shift to self-completion has affected estimates of gambling behaviours.
Since the OSR review, the regulator has commissioned an independent team at the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) to undertake experimental research on how best to implement the recommendations. This team includes Professor Sturgis as well as Professor Jouni Kuha at the London School of Economics.
Results are due to be published this summer, ahead of the second GSGB report. However, to allow for certain changes to be implemented, this has been pushed back to 2 October.
Meanwhile, the OSR also raised concerns over quality assurance and validation processes. It said the Commission should provide more detail to assure users and strengthen confidence in GSGB data.
In response, the Commission detailed its processes. The GSGB data first undergoes quality assurance by NatCen and is then passed to the Commission, which undertakes further quality assurance steps.
This summer, the Commission will also publish a new research governance framework that will “underpin quality assurance and research quality”.
GSGB user guidance update to support ‘appropriate’ use
In response to concerns over how data was being used, the OSR recommended proper guidance be put in place, explaining what the data can and cannot be used for. The OSR also said any potential biases that may affect the GSGB estimates should be clarified.
The Commission said official guidance was published alongside the first report and updated in February 2025 following feedback. New look guidance clarifies limitations, sets out how the data should be used and features a dedicated email contact for reporting and requesting corrections. A public log of correction requests is maintained and updated quarterly.
Elsewhere, OSR called on the Commission to do more to investigate coherence and comparability of GSGB statistics with other relevant data. This includes data from the Health Survey for England (HSE) and the Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey (APMS) that will be published later in 2025.
Again, the Commission said guidance has been updated to explain the differences with these two surveys. It added that plans are in place for cross‑survey activity with both the HSE and APMS, with findings to be published in this October’s technical report. On top of this, the Commission has committed to setting out an evidence roadmaps framework by September this year.
Commission to improve engagement and communication
Several other recommendations referenced concerns over user engagement and communication. The OSR said user needs should be sought, documented and considered, urging the commission to be open to feedback and consider working with other statistic specialists.
The Commission has now tabled its formal response to the report. In this, it sets out how it has already addressed certain concerns set out by the OSR. It also includes its plans to respond to other recommendations in the report.
“We have been in regular contact with the OSR since the start of the review and as such have been able to make improvements along the way based on the feedback they gave us,” the Commission said. “This means that in our response to their report, we can already refer to several enhancements that have been put in place.”
The Commission has already taken action by setting up a formal GSGB Statistics User Group. It also published a user engagement strategy in July to further guide those working with survey data. In addition, a feedback form and dedicated email channel went live in June this year.
As for further communication concerns, the OSR called for a strategy detailing how the Commission shares GSGB updates. This, the OSE said, should cover interacting with both users and stakeholders.
An initial communications strategy was in place ahead of the first GSGB last year. This was updated in July this year, with the regulator setting out improved communications across webinars, conferences, digital and traditional channels.
Making the GSGB easily accessible
The final key recommendation from the OSR related to accessibility and usability. Here the Commission was asked to consider how it can align further development of statistics with users’ needs. This should include the detail provided and its presentation.
In response, the regulator clarified that data is already presented on its website in different formats, including an interactive dashboard. The Commission said it will continue to set out data in this format and will also consider other ways to present GSGB statistics. This could include adding a ‘Digital Object Identifier’ to reports to enable permanent and reliable accessibility.
“We are really pleased that the OSR recognised in their review the amount of work that has gone into the development of the GSGB,” the Commission added. “We have some clear recommendations which will help us to continue to develop our new official statistics and further strengthen our adherence to the Code of Practice.
“Work is already under way to implement the recommendations, many of which will be reflected in the second annual report due in October 2025.”
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