The Role of Responsible Gambling Framing in Addressing Gambling Harms

Categories: News | Published by: Matthew Ferguson

25/03/2025

The article “The impact of responsible gambling framing on people with lived experience of gambling harm” explores how the framing of health issues influences how people think about and respond to these topics. Specifically, the authors examine how responsible gambling strategies are framed and how this framing affects individuals who have experienced gambling harm.

The authors note that gambling has largely been framed as an issue of personal responsibility, with the gambling industry, governments, and some researchers promoting responsible gambling strategies as a way to address gambling harm. However, this framing can be problematic because it places the burden of preventing harm on individuals rather than addressing systemic issues within the industry. To explore this issue further, the authors conducted a study with 20 participants who had experienced gambling harm.

The participants were recruited through community organizations and social media platforms. The study involved two phases: in the first phase, participants were shown different responsible gambling messages and asked to provide feedback on them. In the second phase, participants were interviewed about their experiences with gambling harm and their thoughts on responsible gambling strategies.

The authors found that participants had mixed reactions to responsible gambling messages. Some felt that these messages were helpful in raising awareness about the potential harms associated with gambling. Others felt that these messages placed too much responsibility on individuals and did not address systemic issues within the industry. In particular, participants expressed frustration with messages that focused solely on individual responsibility without acknowledging external factors that contribute to problem gambling. For example, one participant noted that “it’s not just about self-control…there are other things going on in your life that can make you vulnerable.”

Participants also expressed concern about the effectiveness of responsible gambling strategies, noting that they may not be effective for everyone and may even exacerbate feelings of shame or guilt among those who have experienced harm. Overall, the authors argue that responsible gambling strategies should be reframed to focus more on systemic issues within the industry. They suggest that responsible gambling messages should acknowledge the role of external factors in contributing to problem gambling and should emphasize the need for industry-wide changes to prevent harm. The authors also note that their study has several limitations, including small sample size and a lack of diversity among participants. They suggest that future research should explore these issues further and should involve a more diverse range of participants.

In conclusion, “The impact of responsible gambling framing on people with lived experience of gambling harm” highlights the importance of considering how health issues are framed and how this framing affects individuals who have experienced harm. The authors argue that responsible gambling strategies should be reframed