Supporting Victim-Survivors of Gambling-Related Domestic Abuse: A focus on women and their housing

by Mercy Denedo, Kathryn Brookfield, Amanze Ejiogu, Chibuzo Ejiogu, Kelly Henderson and Liz Riley

Executive Summary and Recommendations

This research project explores the complex relationship between gambling harms, domestic abuse, and women’s housing security in England. Drawing on in-depth interviews with women with lived experience, housing providers and other stakeholders, as well as a survey of social housing providers, the study reveals how gambling and domestic abuse are intertwined in ways that significantly undermine women’s safety, wellbeing, and long-term stability.

Gambling-related domestic abuse and domestic abuse-related gambling affect thousands of women and families yet often go unnoticed. The shame and silence surrounding gambling and domestic abuse mean that many suffer alone for years. By recognising the signs earlier and improving support systems, especially around housing, finances, and safety, services can help women rebuild their lives and protect children from ongoing harm.

Research aims

This project sought to learn more about the relationship between gambling and domestic abuse, as experienced by women. It also explored how gambling harms and domestic abuse can impact women’s housing security. Finally, in addition to understanding women’s experiences, we examined the nature and the effectiveness of the support given to them by social housing providers and other services.

Specifically, the research sought to answer the following questions:

1. What are women’s experiences of gambling and domestic abuse?
2. What are the relationships that exist between gambling and domestic abuse?
3. What coping strategies do women deploy, including help-seeking?
4. What support is available to women experiencing gambling and domestic abuse, and what gaps exist in this support?

In addition to producing this final research report, the research also set out to co-produce a resource for housing providers (also of relevance to other service providers) and a series of podcasts that support this resource. These project resources can be accessed below and are also available at http://dagamblingharms.co.uk/, on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-vONvQkMa3ELRSvh91bSyQ), and on Addressing Domestic Abuse (ADA https://addressingdomesticabuse.com/) and below is an overview of the recommendations for policy, practice, and research, which are discussed in detail in the report at the end of this page.

Recommendations for policy, practice and research

Key recommendations to emerge from this research are:

• The need for decent quality, affordable and secure housing. Our research showed that the lack of affordable, quality housing with secure tenure has profound impacts on the lives of people affected by gambling harms and domestic abuse. It resulted in some of the women we interviewed being in unsuitable and unsafe housing, sometimes spending years on waiting lists. It can also result in women feeling unable to leave abusive relationships because they fear that they (and their children) will become homeless or have to leave the areas in which they live and work.
• The need to reduce the stigma associated with domestic abuse and gambling. Our research found that the shame and stigma associated with being a victim-survivor of domestic abuse and with gambling harms can stop people from coming forward to seek help. Stigma can also create social isolation that facilitates further abuse and harmful gambling. It also means that from a stakeholder perspective, practitioners find it harder to ask about gambling and domestic abuse as they are aware of how sensitive these subjects can be.
• The need for multi-agency working through a public health approach, supported by policy action that links prevention, early intervention, and crisis response. This approach should frame gambling harms and domestic abuse as social, rather than individual problems, while recognising their connections to deprivation, child poverty, housing insecurity, homelessness, and violence against women and girls. As part of a public health approach, integrated support systems are needed that bring together key policy strategies, such as the Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Strategy and the Child Poverty Strategy. This approach should also support professionals to develop the knowledge and processes required to recognise gambling harms and domestic abuse, respond appropriately, and understand where to refer individuals for specialist support. An integrated, coordinated response is recommended so that a “no wrong door” approach is established and people can seek help from a range of professionals, without the need to repeatedly explain the challenges they are facing.
• The need for training and resources to increase awareness across sectors, including housing, policing, financial institutions, and legal settings, to strengthen the identification of gambling harms and domestic abuse and embed appropriate responses. Practical guidance is needed by professionals on how to ask about gambling and domestic abuse sensitively, respond well and avoid victim-blaming. Training and resources that develop these skills and confidence are recommended.
• Improvements are needed in the continuity of support, including clearer referral pathways, a shared understanding of risk, and collaborative problem-solving between agencies, for example, professionals within the housing sector and domestic abuse support services.
• There is a clear need for specialist, no-cost or low-cost financial and legal support for people affected by gambling harms and domestic abuse. Individuals in these situations often face complex financial and legal challenges, including debt, financial control, and disputes relating to joint finances or liabilities. However, professionals in statutory services, banks, and legal services frequently lack the specialist understanding required to respond effectively to these issues. As a result, many people are unable to access the advice, advocacy, or practical support they need. While specialist services do exist, they are limited and often unaffordable, leaving many individuals without access to the expert support necessary to address their circumstances.
• There is also a need for victim-survivors to have consistent contact with the same professional, or a small number of professionals, over time. Building trust is essential for individuals to feel safe enough to disclose experiences of harm, including those related to gambling and domestic abuse. Frequent changes in professionals can make it difficult to establish this trust and may discourage individuals from sharing sensitive information. Continuity of support enables professionals to develop a deeper understanding of a person’s circumstances and needs, which in turn will support more effective, trauma-informed responses and better outcomes for victim-survivors.
• There is a critical need for perpetrators of abuse to be held accountable for their actions. Victim-survivors of domestic abuse and the harms caused by the perpetrator’s gambling often bear a heavy burden in both the short and long term. They may be required to document and provide evidence of abuse, document hidden debts or financial exploitation, and take on the responsibility of leaving unsafe environments and relocating. Even after leaving the perpetrator, victim-survivors can face lasting consequences such as poor mental health, ongoing financial insecurity, and indebtedness. Holding perpetrators accountable is essential not only for justice but also for preventing victim-survivors from continuing to carry these burdens alone.
• There is a significant need to embed gambling harms within the tools and systems of agencies that support people. Currently, few housing providers or statutory and voluntary organisations outside the gambling support sector routinely recognise or screen for gambling-related harms among the populations they serve. A key recommendation is to integrate gambling and gambling harms into existing assessment frameworks, such as the Domestic Abuse Stalking and Harassment (DASH) risk assessment and the OASIS system used by Women’s Aid. Incorporating these issues into routine enquiry would normalise conversations about gambling harms, improve record-keeping, and provide more accurate data on prevalence, ultimately enabling agencies to identify and respond to needs more effectively.
• The relationship between gambling and domestic abuse extends to various familial relationships, including those between parents and both adult and young children, as well as between siblings and within the family as a whole. While this research primarily focuses on intimate partner relationships, similar to much of the research discussed in Chapter 3, there remains a lack of understanding regarding the dynamics of gambling related harm and domestic abuse within other family relationships, particularly the effects on young children.
• This research examines the experiences of women, acknowledging that they represent the vast majority of individuals affected by domestic abuse and the gambling habits of others. However, there is a significant need for research on the experiences of men. While men often suffer the consequences of their own gambling, little is understood about whether they engage in gambling as a way to cope with experiences of domestic abuse. Additionally, the male experience of domestic abuse caused by someone else’s gambling remains under-researched.
• The experiences of individuals with disabilities who face the intersection of domestic abuse, gambling issues, and housing insecurity are not well-researched. Some women we interviewed for this study shared additional challenges, such as the lack of suitable housing options. The experiences of people with health and learning disabilities, who confront these complex challenges related to housing, gambling harms, and domestic abuse, require more investigation. Conducting such research could illuminate the specific support needed for these groups.
• The varying practices of social housing providers in screening for gambling harms and domestic abuse require further investigation. Our survey data indicated that larger-scale housing providers generally perform better in screening compared to smaller-scale housing providers. However, due to the limited size of our sample, more research is necessary to determine if this trend holds true and to explore ways to make the screening systems and processes more consistent across all housing providers.

Resources

Gambling Harms and Domestic Abuse: A focus on women and their housing Report

Gambling Harms and Domestic Abuse: Executive Summary and Recommendations

Gambling Harms and Domestic Abuse: Report Infographic

Gambling Harms and Domestic Abuse: A Resource for Housing Professionals

Gambling Harms and Domestic Abuse: Toolkit Infographic

Accompanying Podcast series hosted by Natasha Devon (LBC radio broadcaster).

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DAGamblingharms

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0OKjMq1J8vSKmtlhKMJPax

Funding 

This independent research was funded by a regulatory settlement approved by the Gambling Commission. The research team are grateful to the Gambling Commission for the support provided.