Creating Evaluation Standards for Responsible Gambling: From Counting Bets to Counting What Matters Using PROMs and PREMs

Session Title

Responsible Gambling: Evaluation Frameworks

Presentation Type

Paper Presentation

Start Date

26-5-2026 12:00 AM

Abstract

Evaluating responsible gambling programs across jurisdictions remains challenging due to the multifactorial and context-dependent nature of gambling-related harm. Current evaluation approaches frequently emphasize easily quantifiable process indicators such as tool uptake or message exposure, rather than outcomes that reflect what actually matters to people who gamble, their families, and communities. In health care, a comparable measurement challenge has been addressed through the widespread adoption of patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) and patient-reported experience measures (PREMs), which capture lived outcomes, quality of life, and service experiences directly from the patient perspective. This presentation proposes adapting PROMs and PREMs as standardized evaluation tools for responsible gambling policy and practice. Drawing on established health measurement frameworks and recent advances in gambling harm taxonomies, the paper outlines a core, internationally comparable set of responsible gambling PROM domains, including financial control, time control, craving management, functioning and quality of life, psychological distress and recovery capital, harms to others, and legacy harm. Complementary PREM domains are proposed to assess informed choice, dignity and stigma, access to supports, perceived effectiveness of tools, and feelings of safety and control within gambling environments.

Author Bios

Travis Sztainert is the Director of Research and Education at the International Center for Responsible Gaming. His work focuses on advancing evidence-based approaches to responsible gambling, player protection, and public health policy through large-scale research funding, global forums, and cross-sector collaboration. He leads initiatives that bridge science, regulation, and industry practice, with a particular interest in risk, resilience, and the design of safer gambling environments.

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May 26th, 12:00 AM

Creating Evaluation Standards for Responsible Gambling: From Counting Bets to Counting What Matters Using PROMs and PREMs

Evaluating responsible gambling programs across jurisdictions remains challenging due to the multifactorial and context-dependent nature of gambling-related harm. Current evaluation approaches frequently emphasize easily quantifiable process indicators such as tool uptake or message exposure, rather than outcomes that reflect what actually matters to people who gamble, their families, and communities. In health care, a comparable measurement challenge has been addressed through the widespread adoption of patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) and patient-reported experience measures (PREMs), which capture lived outcomes, quality of life, and service experiences directly from the patient perspective. This presentation proposes adapting PROMs and PREMs as standardized evaluation tools for responsible gambling policy and practice. Drawing on established health measurement frameworks and recent advances in gambling harm taxonomies, the paper outlines a core, internationally comparable set of responsible gambling PROM domains, including financial control, time control, craving management, functioning and quality of life, psychological distress and recovery capital, harms to others, and legacy harm. Complementary PREM domains are proposed to assess informed choice, dignity and stigma, access to supports, perceived effectiveness of tools, and feelings of safety and control within gambling environments.