The UK-based behavioural science research and consultancy organisation has established the new unit with a mandate to “develop and test methods and approaches that will significantly reduce harms."
BIT announced the unit will partner with stakeholders to ensure UK regulations effectively reduce gambling harms.
The Gambling Policy & Research Unit is being funded through the regulatory settlements for socially responsible purposes which are approved by the Gambling Commission and will sit within BIT’s Economic Policy team, and be led by Aisling Ní Chonaire, Head of Consumer and Business Markets.
Nida Broughton, BIT’s Director of Economic Policy, said: “Behavioural effects fundamentally shape our choices over how much we spend, what we buy, and how we spend our time, and so are crucial to understanding and tackling gambling harms.
“The new Gambling Policy & Research Unit will allow us to develop and test brand new ideas to reduce the psychological, social and financial impacts of problem gambling on families, so we can help make the UK not only the largest regulated gambling market in the world but also the most safely regulated.”
The launch of the Gambling Policy & Research Unit comes as the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport is currently reviewing the Gambling Act 2005.
“Tackling gambling harms is at the heart of our work as a regulator. The pilots that BIT will run will be an important step in identifying approaches that can make a real difference in reducing harms,” said Tim Miller, Gambling Commission Executive Director.
“That is why we were happy to approve funding for a project which will offer insights that can be drawn on by all partners to the National Strategy to Reduce Gambling Harms.”