Beyond disclosure: gambling research, political economy, and incremental reform

Abstract

Gambling research is beset with vested interests, be they those of the state or the gambling industry. The effect of these on the quality and focus of research has been largely ignored. Full and transparent disclosure policies are a useful first step in identifying possible sources of conflict. Progress in public health tends to be achieved in small, incremental steps, as the experience in tobacco and alcohol research makes plain. The rest of the journey will involve the achievement of the level of independence in gambling research that has been modelled by the alcohol and tobacco research assemblages.