Gambling Harms and Domestic Abuse Must be Addressed by Housing Providers to Better Protect Women and Families, New Research Finds

Harmful gambling can contribute to and intensify domestic abuse, and become a form of escapism for female victims, finds a new report led by faculty at Durham University Business School.

Gambling, the study finds, provides a source of temporary emotional relief for women subjected to domestic abuse, who may also hope that gambling will provide them with the possibility of gaining the financial resources they need to escape their circumstances.

The study, Gambling Harms and Domestic Abuse: A focus on women and their housing, explores the repercussions of gambling-related domestic abuse - where perpetrators of domestic abuse also gamble, and domestic abuse-related gambling – where victim-survivors of domestic abuse turn to gambling as a coping mechanism. In both scenarios, the study reveals that women and children can face long-term housing insecurity and even homelessness.

The report has been produced in partnership between four major UK universities: Durham, Cranfield, Nottingham and Sheffield, and two support organisations: Addressing Domestic Abuse, and Betknowmore UK. It has been funded by the Gambling Commission through its Regulatory Settlements to be applied for Socially Responsible Purposes Fund.

A key finding is that a lack of specialist knowledge amongst housing service providers is hindering the ability to identify abuse in the home and provide help.

Lead author of the study, Dr Mercy Denedo says;

“Gambling‑related domestic abuse and domestic abuse-related gambling affect thousands of women and families, yet the shame and silence surrounding such issues mean that many suffer alone for years without access to the support needed to improve their circumstances.”

The researchers conducted in‑depth interviews with women with lived experience of gambling harms and domestic abuse, as well as with support services and UK housing providers. They also surveyed housing providers to understand what data they captured about tenants’ experiences of gambling harms and domestic abuse, and the support they made available to women.

Physical or sexual abuse, violent or threatening behaviour, controlling or coercive behaviour, financial abuse, and psychological or emotional abuse were all found to occur within the home and even continue after women had separated from their partners.

Dr Liz Riley, Head of Research & Evaluation at Betknowmore UK, says;

“What women told us is clear: gambling harms don’t just affect the person gambling — they ripple across families, impacting on finances and housing stability. Too often, the abuse remains hidden because gambling is normalised and rarely asked about by professionals. Recognising the links between gambling harms and domestic abuse is critical to ensuring victim-survivors are identified earlier and supported effectively.”

Financial abuse, where partners stole money or used their identities to fraudulently obtain loans and build debt, landed women in inescapable circumstances, unable to pay for secure, safe, affordable housing elsewhere or obtain financial or legal support.

Despite debts caused by gambling resulting in rental arrears and mortgage default, eviction, and future housing instability, the report found that gambling is often overlooked in Housing Providers’ risk assessments and professional practice.

Dr Kelly Henderson, Founder and Co-Managing Director of Addressing Domestic Abuse, says;

“All too often, housing providers are unaware of the signs of gambling harms and domestic abuse and as a result fail to adequately support and protect vulnerable women.”

When women disclosed such issues to housing providers, staff often failed to probe the underlying causes. Additionally, a lack of knowledge or confidence in addressing any such concerns led to issues being ignored.

Dr Katy Brookfield, Assistant Professor of Criminology at the University of Nottingham, says;

“A significant barrier for housing providers supporting people experiencing this issue is that most fail to ask their tenants or prospective tenants about gambling behaviours and harms. By recognising the signs earlier and improving support systems, services can help women find safety, rebuild their lives, and protect children from ongoing harm.”

To enable the housing sector to overcome these challenges, the research makes a number of recommendations for policy, practice and further research.

Increasing the provision of quality, affordable and secure housing, improving access to low-cost or free legal support and introducing protective public policy are all recommended actions, as well as greater training for sector professionals, and taking action to tackle the social stigma surrounding gambling and domestic abuse.

Overall, developing a multi-agency approach to enhance prevention could better enable early intervention and crisis response, as well as provide an accessible route out of harmful living circumstances for those at risk.

Alongside the report, the researchers have published “Gambling Harms and Domestic Abuse: A Resource for Housing Professionals”, designed to support practitioners in recognising the signs of gambling-related domestic abuse and domestic abuse-related gambling, respond in a trauma-informed way, and access appropriate referral pathways.

A series of five podcasts, hosted by broadcaster Natasha Devon, designed to support the resource, has also been recorded and made available to practitioners via platforms such as YouTube and Spotify.

The full report, resource, and podcasts can be found on the Durham University Business School website, the project website DAgamblingharms.co.uk, and on Addressing Domestic Abuse (ADA).

/ENDS

Further information – contact Kerry Ruffle at BlueSky Education - +44(0)1582790701 / kerry@bluesky-pr.com


Notes to Editors

Gambling Harms and Domestic Abuse: A focus on women and their housing” has been authored by Dr Mercy Denedo, of Durham University Business School, Dr Kathryn Brookfield of the University of Nottingham, Professor Amanze Ejiogu of Sheffield Hallam University, Dr Chibuzo Ejiogu of Cranfield University, Dr Kelly Henderson – Co-Managing Director of Addressing Domestic Abuse and Dr Liz Riley – Head of Research & Evaluation at Betknowmore UK. The report has been funded by the UK Gambling Commission.