New director for responsible gambling trust

The Responsible Gambling Trust has appointed the respected academic Jonathan Parke as the charity’s Director of Commissioning.

Many in the online gambling industry will remember Parke as the man commissioned in 2006 by player advocacy and standards body eCOGRA to conduct one of the largest studies of online gambling player behaviour at that time, presenting the first comprehensive picture of online gamblers following an extensive research project involving nearly 11,000 players from 96 countries.

The ‘eCOGRA Global Online Gambler Survey’ was managed by Parke and undertaken by the Betting and International Gaming Research Units at Nottingham Trent University.

Prior to this RGT appointment, Jonathan Parke was a Senior Lecturer in Consumer Behaviour at Salford Business School, University of Salford.

He has published over 30 peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, government reports and other publications and has given over 40 conference papers and talks regarding internet gambling, gambling-related risk, self-regulation and sustainable practices in gambling provision.

In addition, Parke has provided consultancy services to regulators, industry and other stakeholders and held a number of advisory roles including as chair of both the National and International Expert Panel of Gambling Machines (Gambling Commission) and as Expert Advisor on internet gambling and gaming machines (Responsible Gambling Strategy Board).

Marc Etches, chief executive of the Responsible Gambling Trust says the Trust’s focus will increasingly be on commissioning evidence-based evaluation of service provision and attending to a broader research agenda.

“Critical to future commissioning decisionmaking, particularly in relation to treatment services, is to know that the money the Trust grants is achieving the best possible outcomes both in terms of minimising problem gambling and in offering good value for the money spent,” Etches says.

“In developing our future commissioning plans, we must ensure that decision-making is always fair, consistent, objective and evidence-based.”

Accepting the appointment, Parke, said:

“I am delighted to take up the role of Director of Commissioning at the Responsible Gambling Trust to assist the charity to establish effective and robust evaluation processes for its funded activities, as well to develop and implement its emerging research strategy.”

Trust chairman Neil Goulden, added:

“Jonathan will help the Trust to meet growing demands to deliver an independently commissioned research programme that can begin to fill the evidence-gaps in relation to both ‘problem’ and responsible’ gambling behaviour as well as the effectiveness of various treatment, and education techniques in preventing and/or reducing gambling-related harm.”

Related and similar