Our research agenda

Research plays an important role in addressing gambling harm in NSW. We commission and fund research to build an evidence-base for gambling harm minimisation that:

• informs improvements to policy, practice and regulation

• evaluates and guides improvements to programs and support

• contributes to an informed public discussion on gambling harm

• anticipates and keeps pace with emerging risks and trends.

The Responsible Gambling Fund (RGF) Research Agenda guides all our research and aligns with the Office of Responsible Gambling 2024-2027 strategic plan.

How we developed our research agenda

We consulted researchers, counsellors, and policy makers to seek their views on research priorities for 2024-2027.

Our Research Agenda 2024–2027 themes

 For 2024–2027 our priority research themes are:

• individual and community level gambling harm minimisation
• regulation of gambling products, practices and environments
• gambling and gambling harm among vulnerable groups
• emerging technologies and new trends
• measuring and understanding gambling prevalence and harm
• efficacy and effectiveness of treatment.

We also focus on:

• sharing and promoting out research findings and their application
• collaborating with other sectors and stakeholders to capitalise on new and existing opportunities to undertake, share and apply research, including across government
• building the knowledge, skills and diversity of gambling researchers.

Our research agenda in action

Each year we put our research agenda into action by developing an annual research plan, outlining projects that are to be commissioned in the coming year that will contribute to our objectives and align with our research priorities.

We encourage a wide range of research activities, including:

• literature reviews
• academic and applied research projects
• data analysis and data linkage studies
• pilots and trials to test feasibility
• evaluations of programs and services.

Our previous Research Agenda can be found below.