The spatial signatures of gambling behaviours: access to online vs. brick-and-mortar facilities

While emphasis has traditionally been placed on the individual dimensions of gambling – what drives individuals to engage in harmful gambling activities and their effects on individuals and households – little attention has been paid to the spatial patterns of these activities. Because of data limitations, researchers tend to neglect online gambling and therefore, only part of the gambling landscape becomes visible. This project will therefore investigate how the spatial pattern of the location of brick-and-mortar gambling facilities has evolved over time in Britain and how this has been affected by increasing opportunities for online gambling. It will also investigate what the spatial signature of online gambling behaviour in Britain is, and how access to physical gambling outlets affects online gambling behaviours. 

Project lead is Emmanouil Tranos (School for Geographical Sciences) at the University of Bristol.