The National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) has been appointed by the Department for Culture， Media & Sport (DCMS) and the Gambling Commission to spearhead the evaluation of the ongoing Gambling Act Review (GAR).

NatCen's role in this project involves formulating a plan to assess the GAR's efficacy in preventing gambling-related harm. The evaluation will extend its focus to examine gambling behaviours and the overall dynamics of the gambling market.

One of the key objectives of the evaluation is to determine whether there is a suitable equilibrium between consumer freedoms and harm prevention in vulnerable groups.

Additionally， the evaluation will scrutinise the adequacy of customer protection measures during gambling activities， hoping to ensure a fair and consistent approach to regulating both online and land-based gambling industries.

To achieve these objectives， NatCen will collaborate closely with the DCMS and the Gambling Commission in developing a Theory of Change (ToC) for the GAR.

Dr Sokratis Dinos， NatCen's Director of Health Policy，Free games commented: “We are delighted to work on this project – to develop this monitoring and evaluation plan of the vital Gambling Act Review.

“The past decade has seen a significant shift in the perspective of gambling harms， and this contract is pivotal in providing feasible approaches and practical recommendations.

“This evaluation will consider the extent to which measures have effectively prevented gambling-related harm to vulnerable groups and wider communities， whilst enabling the balance of consumer freedom and informed choice， and explore the wider impact on gambling behaviours and the market.”