Lived Experience Panel Set to Advise the Gambling Commission

The Gambling Commission (GC) in the UK is looking to expand on the role of people who have personally experienced gambling harm and announced today the establishment of a permanent Lived Experience Advisory Panel.

“We are pleased that the Gambling Commission has recognised the importance of listening to people who have been harmed by gambling and welcome their real commitment to ensuring that this can happen.”

Spokesperson, Lived Experience Advisory Panel

Evidence, Advice and Recommendations

Following in the footsteps of the interim Experts by Experience group the regulatory watchdog set last year, the panel will provide evidence-based advice and recommendations to the GC to allow the regulator to make informed decisions and raise industry standards.

“The creation of this group creates a real opportunity for the voice of those with lived experience to support and influence the work of the Gambling Commission. We are a diverse group of people and bring a wide range skills and personal experience of gambling harm.”

Spokesperson, Lived Experience Advisory Panel

Comprised of people who have experienced gambling harm in many different shapes and forms, including being harmed by someone else’s gambling, the Lived Experience Advisory Panel will provide invaluable advice to the commission on a range of policy development initiatives, including the ongoing review of the Gambling Act 2005.

“We take this role seriously and look forward to working together as a group to make progress in tackling gambling harm.”

Spokesperson, Lived Experience Advisory Panel

Formal Advisory Group

The panel, which had its first meeting this week, will join as a formal GC’s advisory group the Advisory Board for Safer Gambling and the Digital Advisory Panel within the commission, and will advise the regulator on issues related to gambling harm.

“The establishment of this group is a great step forward for us in our work in making gambling safer and building our understanding of harm and its impacts.”

Neil McArthur, CEO, Gambling Commission

Pointing out to the input provided by the interim group, the Gambling Commission is looking for invaluable views and perspectives from the panel, to continue to have a positive impact in tackling harms from gambling, McArthur concluded.

Gambling Commission Chair William Moyes welcomed the announcement for the establishment of the permanent Lived Experience Advisory Panel, outlining it as a positive step in the direction of better understanding for harms stemming from gambling behavior.

“By collaborating with those with lived experience, friends, families and communities we can make faster progress to reduce gambling harms.”

William Moyes, Chair, Gambling Commission

The establishment of the panel is a sign of the commission’s commitment to ensure it takes into account a wide range of customer views, as the panel’s input, although not comprised with all types of gamblers, is expected to complement information and feedback the GC receives from the consumer contact center, as well as various online consumer research panels.