Gambling Commission responds to OSR recommendations following GSGB review

Gambling Commission responds to OSR recommendations following GSGB review

Summary

The Gambling Commission has set out how it is addressing recommendations from the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR) following a review of the Gambling Survey for Great Britain (GSGB). The regulator has already implemented several changes to reporting and guidance, commissioned further independent research via NatCen (including Professors Patrick Sturgis and Jouni Kuha), and committed to additional quality-assurance, communications and accessibility improvements ahead of the second GSGB report in October 2025.

Key Points

• • The OSR reviewed GSGB methods and use after concerns about reliability and comparability were raised.
• • The Commission commissioned NatCen to run experimental research, with results now scheduled for publication by 2 October 2025.
• • GSGB data undergoes initial QA by NatCen and further QA by the Commission; a research governance framework will be published to strengthen processes.
• • User guidance was updated (Feb 2025) to clarify limitations, proper uses and potential biases; a corrections log and dedicated contact channel are in place.
• • Cross-survey comparability work is planned with the Health Survey for England (HSE) and the Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey (APMS), with findings in the October technical report.
• • The Commission has launched a GSGB Statistics User Group, published a user engagement strategy, and updated its communications approach for wider outreach.
• • Data accessibility improvements include interactive dashboards and consideration of persistent identifiers (Digital Object Identifier) for reports.
• • Many OSR recommendations will be reflected in the second annual GSGB report due October 2025.

Content summary

The OSR identified concerns about how GSGB estimates are produced, reported and used, asking the Gambling Commission to be clearer on quality assurance, potential biases and comparability with other surveys. The Commission responded by detailing current QA steps, commissioning further experimental research through NatCen (with academic oversight), and updating public guidance to set out limitations and appropriate uses of GSGB data. It has also improved channels for user feedback, created a user group and published an engagement strategy. Work on cross-survey comparisons and a formal research governance framework is underway, and enhancements will feed into the second GSGB report in October 2025.

Context and relevance

This matters because the GSGB is an emerging official statistic that informs policy, regulation and public debate on gambling. The OSR’s review and the Commission’s response aim to bolster confidence in the survey’s findings by improving transparency, methodology and user engagement. For researchers, policy-makers and industry stakeholders, these changes affect how GSGB figures should be interpreted and used alongside other national surveys (HSE and APMS) that report on health and behaviour.

Why should I read this?

Short version: if you rely on gambling data for policy, compliance or research, this update tells you what’s been fixed, what’s changing and when the next, more robust GSGB findings will arrive. Think of it as a checkpoint — the survey’s getting a credibility tune-up and the regulator wants users to know how to use the numbers properly.

Author style

Punchy: this is a practical, regulatory update with real impact — GSGB improvements will shape evidence used in decisions on gambling harm, regulation and industry practice. Worth a quick read if you work in policy, research or compliance.

Source

Source: https://igamingbusiness.com/strategy/gambling-commission-response-osr-review-gsgb/