Document is current

Article History

Received: 14 March 2025

Accepted: 11 June 2025

First Online: 3 July 2025

Declarations

:

: This study was approved by the Edinburgh Medical School Research Ethics Committee, University of Edinburgh (ref: 23-EMREC-016) on 9th August 2023. Approval was also sought from each school’s Local Authority education department. Final approval was obtained from the head teacher at each school. All study participants provided informed consent. Parents or guardians of all participating minors were informed about the study via an information leaflet distributed by the school. If they wished to withdraw their child/children from the research they completed an opt-out form. Informed consent was therefore considered given unless an opt-out form was received. Students gave written student assent prior to fieldwork. Data collected throughout the study is in adherence with the Declaration of Helsinki.

: Not applicable.

: In the last five years FD discloses grant funding for gambling-related projects from the Medical Research Council and the National Institute for Health and Social Research. FD has received payment to participate in an online focus group to help develop an awareness raising intervention to increase knowledge of the marketing strategies used by the gambling industry to promote their products. In the past 5 years, HW discloses grant funding for gambling-related projects from the National Institute for Health and Social Research, Economic and Social Research Council, Wellcome Trust, Office of Health Improvements and Disparities/Public Health Scotland, Gambling Commission (including regulatory settlement funds); Gambling Research Exchange Ontario, Greater London Authority, Greater Manchester Combined Authority and the Department for Culture Media and Sport. Between 2015 and 2020, she was Deputy Chair of the Advisory Board for Safer Gambling, providing independent advice to government on gambling policy with remuneration from the Gambling Commission. She has been paid consultancy fees by the Institute of Public Health, Ireland and the National Institute for Economic and Social Research. She is a member of the WHO Panel on gambling. She was paid as an expert witness on gambling by Lambeth and Middlesbrough Borough Councils. She received payment for delivery of a webinar by McGill University and travel costs to deliver a Keynote Address to the Gambling Regulators European Forum. She has received travel cost from the Turkish Green Crescent Society and Alberta Gambling Research Institute. She has provided unpaid research advice to GamCare. She runs a research consultancy practice for public and third sector bodies– she has never provided consultancy services to the gambling industry. All remaining authors declare that they have no competing interests.