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SP: What your research priorities looking forward? Where have you identified gaps in the data that you have to make decisions? TM: I should say that only a small proportion of the funding will be spent by us. The rest will go to other commissioners in the system. The budget that we do have as a regulator we have sought to allocate in a really transparent way. We’ve published our research roadmap which sets out priorities broadly covering the consumer journey. There will be research around the early experiences of gambling and gateways into gambling; what sort of products people try before they move on to gambling, and how that shapes their relationship with gambling. Consumers
whoever we need to engage with to ensure that research is of the highest quality. And yes, that will include engaging with industry. Frankly, it would be a nonsense for us as a regulator to do research into gambling and into the gambling industry without engaging with the very businesses that work in it, day in, day out. Now, there are plenty of voices out there who have the view that industry should have no role in research at all. And there will be areas of research where actually it is better done completely at arm's length to ensure that it stands up to scrutiny. But I think if you exclude industry from all research, frankly, I think that's a slightly naive approach to take, in the same way as you cannot research gambling harms without
are not a cohesive group: people that gamble on different products have very different experiences, very different drivers. It's important we understand that and there'll be a lot of research done around harm and vulnerability. Most of that will probably be done by others in the system, but we'll look at that through a regulatory
speaking to people that been harmed by gambling. How can you make proper, evidence-based decisions without engaging with those that are working in the industry that you're actually regulating? So, we will continue to engage with industry in research, even if others choose not to.
" It would be a nonsense for us to do research into gambling without engaging with the businesses that work in it, day in, day out. "
SP: You mention different voices out there some with strong views that there should be no engagement or involvement at all with the industry. Has the UK GC felt pressure to take the same view? TM: We get that all the time, and I have to say it happens from both sides of the debate. You don't just get it from academics or public health campaigners saying that industry shouldn't be a part. There are voices within industry who suggest that there are certain academics, for example, that we shouldn't engage with, and frankly, both of those positions are equally wrong. We will engage with whoever we need to to do the best quality work. Now, what we will also do is assess the weight that we put on that research and that evidence, and will be very open about areas where there is the risk of some bias creeping in. We said this in relation to the Gambling Survey for Great Britain, that we recognize that certain approaches to research can either increase or reduce the number of gamblers that are in your cohort, compared to others. We're open about that. But for us as a decision maker we are seeking to understand where there
perspective. The other big area for us is the illegal market and continuing to build our understanding of that. In research we published last year we were clear that we did not feel we would ever be in a position to put a single figure on the size of the legal market because it's something that inherently doesn't want to be measured. But if we can keep developing our knowledge and understanding, then we can be more successful in how we how we tackle it. SP: I should say that it is to your credit that UKGC makes this information public, including, as you said, your research priorities roadmap. I think it really adds to the transparency over how an authority is acting. But there is a perception that funding should not necessarily come direct from industry or it's being seen more critical. What's the background of this? TM: I think the funding is only one aspect of it, it’s a broader question as to what should be the role of industry in research, not just in terms of funding it, but should they play any role? W e've been clear in our research that we will engage with
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IMGL MAGAZINE | MARCH 2026
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