Trade body calls on UKGC to improve when it comes to data

The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) is under pressure to improve its strategy, especially when it comes to data and statistics.

The Institute of Licensing (IoL), a British trade association, is pushing the UKGC to better support betting companies through improved use of data and statistics. In a statement put out following the UKGC’s publication of the Gambling Survey of Great Britain (GSGB) data, the IoL argues that the organization needs to improve user confidence in its survey.

The survey, now in its second year, puts forward various recommendations made by Professor Patrick Sturgis of London School of Economics but the IoL claims that those will be hard to put into action smoothly without backing from other groups and a more detailed improvement plan.

Specifically, the survey highlighted scratchcards, sports betting and online instant win games as being the most associated with a higher risk of gambling-related harm. It also went over points around the increasing digitzation of gambling, especially for people aged under 24.

While those learnings alone are helpful for betting industry leaders and stakeholders to know, the IoL argues that the UKGC should “consider how it can align further development of these statistics, including the detail that is provided and how it is presented, with user needs”.

The IoL also encouraging the UKGC to look at how its own data can relate to other statistics, like those collected from the Health Survey for England and the Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey.

“To benefit future statistics development and address diverse stakeholder needs, the Gambling Commission should broaden its stakeholder network and collaborate further with official statistics producers,” the IoL’s statement reads, as seen by SBC News.

This more overarching view would perhaps garner more interest from other groups as well, also contributing to making the Commission’s recommendations more straightforward to implement.

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