Kindbridge Research Institute launches new initiative on financial harm in gambling

Kindbridge Research Institute has officially unveiled its Financial Stability and Responsible Gambling Initiative, the first-ever coordinated US effort to confront gambling-related financial harm as a public health and financial stability issue.

“Financial stress connected to gambling is often one of the earliest signs that a person is under serious strain—whether it’s emotional, psychological or financial,” Financial Stability and Responsible Gambling Initiative Director Daniel Umfleet said. 

“By bringing together sectors that haven’t traditionally worked in partnership, we have a real chance to step in earlier, coordinate care and build practical responses that stabilize lives and strengthen systems of support.”

The Financial Stability and Responsible Gambling Initiative will be guided by a national working group, bringing together leaders across multiple sectors to share insights and explore upstream solutions like financial education to strengthen prevention and care. 

As part of the initiative, researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) will also conduct studies to better understand how gambling and financial instability intersect, what patterns may signal early risk and which interventions are most effective at preventing more serious financial and health consequences.

Good to know: The Kindbridge Research Institute introduced its new Military Gambling Awareness Committee during June 2024, meant to raise awareness and integrate protective measures surrounding gambling harm in the military population

“Financial stress is one of the most common and damaging consequences of harmful gambling,” UCLA Gambling Studies Program Co-Director Dr. Timothy Fong said. 

“As clinicians, we see how financial harm often drives people to seek help, but by the time they do, much of the damage has already been done. This initiative allows us to intervene earlier in that trajectory. Just as important, it gives us the opportunity to collect new data that can directly inform how we design support systems that work.”

The multi-year national initiative brings together experts in finance, healthcare and research to develop practical strategies for reducing the financial harm that can result from gambling, including mounting debt, missed payments and money stress that affects a person’s stability or health.

Kirk Geller

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