A research plan to define Canada's first low-risk gambling guidelines.

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Addiction Science
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Excessive gambling presents public health concerns similar to alcohol, with associated physical, emotional, and healthcare utilization harms.
• A dose-response relationship exists between gambling frequency/intensity and the likelihood of experiencing negative consequences.
• Existing guidelines for alcohol and cannabis provide a model for developing evidence-based gambling recommendations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the methodology and decision-making process for developing Canada's first national Low-Risk Gambling Guidelines (LRGGs).
• To establish quantitative thresholds for safer gambling practices.
• To inform public health policy, prevention strategies, and public decision-making regarding gambling.

Main Methods:

• Secondary analysis of large-scale population datasets (cross-sectional and longitudinal) from Canada and internationally, encompassing over 50,000 adults.
• Utilizing a collaborative, evidence-informed approach mirroring successful guideline development for alcohol and cannabis.
• Recommendations will be developed by a scientific committee and endorsed by a multi-agency advisory committee.

Main Results:

• The study is in the process of deriving quantitative thresholds for low-risk gambling.
• The methodology focuses on pooling results from extensive population data to ensure robust recommendations.
• The development represents a systematic attempt to create actionable LRGGs from empirical data.

Conclusions:

• The forthcoming Low-Risk Gambling Guidelines (LRGGs) are expected to be the first of their kind, based on comprehensive population data.
• These guidelines will serve as a crucial tool for public health policy, prevention efforts, and informed decision-making by individuals and the industry.
• Dissemination to professionals, policymakers, and the public aims to mitigate gambling-related harms nationwide.