Gambling Commission to Research Link Between Gambling and Suicide
The UK Gambling Commission has announced plans to investigate the connection between gambling and suicidality as part of its updated research priorities. The initiative forms a key component of the regulator’s new evidence roadmap on gambling-related harm and vulnerability.
Focus on Harm and Vulnerability
The Commission plans to examine how gambling products, environments, and player behaviours contribute to negative outcomes, including gambling-related suicides. It will also study how gambling habits change over time when play becomes harmful. Particular attention will be given to hard-to-reach groups, ethnic minorities, and individuals at higher risk.
The roadmap aims to identify different types of gambling-related harm and the people most vulnerable to them. It highlights the most severe outcomes, such as gambling-related suicides, and the impact on friends and families. Researchers will also analyse “legacy harms” – the long-term effects experienced by people who have stopped gambling but still face consequences from their past addiction.
Building Reliable Data and Research Partnerships
The Commission will work with academic and public institutions to collect national data on gambling-related suicides, including suicidal thoughts, attempts, and completed cases. Although the Gambling Survey for Great Britain includes some relevant data, the regulator said comprehensive evidence is still lacking. According to the 2024 survey, 12.2% of respondents reported suicidal thoughts or attempts, and 5.2% said these were linked to gambling to some extent.
The Commission stated:
“While current evidence highlights a clear association between gambling and suicidality, significant gaps remain in understanding how specific events and circumstances may lead to gambling-related suicide. Accurate and comprehensive information about the nature and extent of the link between gambling and suicidal behaviour is essential for effective prevention efforts.”
The project also supports the UK’s first psychological autopsy study into gambling-related suicides. It will investigate environmental, contextual, and behavioural factors behind such cases. The results are expected to guide future regulatory strategies and strengthen prevention efforts across the gambling industry.
