New agenda to drive innovative gambling research

An exciting program of research is underway at the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation with a number of new opportunities for gambling research expected in the coming months.

Foundation chief executive officer Serge Sardo says the Foundation's research agenda identifies six priority areas for future research.

"We are pursuing gambling research in these areas because we believe they will best inform our community education and prevention programs, and support the delivery of effective services for people affected by gambling," said Mr Sardo.

The six priority areas for research include:

• Changing gambling environments – to understand how changing environmental factors, including marketing, promotion, venue environments and new and emerging technologies are changing gambling behaviour.
  
• Stigma – to explore the stigma associated with problem gambling to support the Foundation's delivery of effective prevention, education, treatment and recovery focused activities.
  
• Gambling related harm – to examine and understand the harm associated with gambling, including to families, friends and the community as a whole.
  
• Responsible gambling and gambling consumption – to investigate how personal, sociological, environmental and cultural factors, including the introduction of new forms of gambling, affect gambling consumption, and why people are attracted to different forms of gambling.
  
• Treatment and recovery – to identify and understand effective treatments for problem gambling, and to explore the multiple and complex pathways to recovery for people with gambling problems.
  
• Co-morbidities – to better understand the link between problem gambling and co-morbid (or co-occurring) conditions such as depression, anxiety, alcohol abuse and smoking, and the impact these conditions have on seeking help and processes of recovery.
  

"The Foundation supports high quality, independent and innovative gambling research because it underpins everything we do," said Mr Sardo.

Find out more about the Foundation's research program, including upcoming funding opportunities.