University of Bristol launches gambling educational toolkit

The toolkit is intended as a guide for students and as a campaign tool for university staff.

UK.- A new educational toolkit launched by the University of Bristol aims to raise awareness and provide practical support for students with gambling issues. Created by graduates Benjamin Parker and Jordan White, the resource, titled From Freshers’ Week to Losing Streak, is intended as a guide for students and as a campaign tool for university staff to better recognise gambling-related harms and respond effectively.

The pair emphasise that the toolkit can be easily integrated into existing university systems, serving as a hub for information on specialist services and compulsive gambling disorders.

Their research was supported by the Bristol Hub for Gambling Harms, and the project received £8,000 in funding from Runway, a university programme that backs student-led startups. Parker and White are now collaborating with Ara Recovery For All, a charity working with individuals affected by gambling harms across the South West and Wales.

White said of the project: “As well as strengthening access to support, we want students to reflect and question their own relationship with gambling, and feel empowered to have conversations with their friends about it. People only talk about the wins, not about the losses, and often wait until they are in crisis before seeking help. But there are resources available for people who want to feel more educated and informed on the topic.”

Parker added his own perspective, noting: “Lots of my mates gambled, and I had a suspicion that it was happening all the time. When we investigated university student gambling and discovered how pervasive gambling harms are, we felt we had to develop a solution. There is a massive gap between the awareness of universities and the scale of the problem.”

The University of Bristol has long been active in gambling harm research. Its academics have even challenged industry advertising by submitting complaints to the Advertising Standards Authority, including against Midnite.

This focus aligns with wider debates in the UK as local councils campaign for greater powers to block gambling ads as well betting shops. In December, five more London councils joined the Coalition to End Gambling Ads (CEGA). The campaign group was founded at the start of 2025 to push for a reduction in gambling ads in various areas, and London’s underground transport system remains a particular focus.

In January, the group published a study that found public support for more restrictions on gambling ads.