About MilGam
The Centre for Military Gambling Research (MilGam), based at the School of Psychology at Swansea University, is the first ever multi-disciplinary centre of excellence for military-related research on gambling harm.
It aims to conduct research and develop interventions to support members of the military community who are experiencing gambling-related harms, provide training, and act as an evidence hub to coordinate and direct the growing body of research on military gambling – facilitating dissemination and boosting impact. The lived experience of gambling harm and the Armed Forces is central to all aspects of the Centre’s work.
Researchers from the Centre completed the first prevalence studies in the UK focused on gambling in veterans, and those currently serving in the Armed Forces. They identified that UK Armed Forces veterans are at a particularly heightened risk of experiencing gambling-related harm compared to the general population, with significant health, social and economic costs, which extends to those currently serving in the Armed Forces.
This work highlighted the need to better understand and support the challenges faced by all members of the Armed Forces community, which the Centre aims to do by:
- conducting further research to increase our understanding of gambling in the military population, and how it affects family and friends.
- designing and evaluating safer and more cost-effective gambling interventions, education and awareness-raising programs.
- building a solid foundation of research and treatment evidence to support policy and Ministry of Defence-led organisational change.
- contributing to legislative debates and advocating for regular, annual screening of gambling among the military.
- drawing together international military health and gambling research and providing research snapshots, infographics and key message summaries.
- exploring synergies with mental health and other (e.g., occupational) risk factors affecting the Armed Forces community.
- hosting an International Conference on Military Personnel and Gambling Related Harm, symposia and workshops, and peer-reviewed publications.
- developing training and teaching on military-related gambling harms.
Establishing the Centre was made possible through an award of funding from the Gambling Commission’s Regulatory Settlements fund. This fund is generated through regulatory action against gambling operators in breach of their gambling licenses and is made available by the Gambling Commission for socially responsible purposes.
MilGam will work in parallel with existing gambling research groups, such as the GREAT Network Wales, to ensure a holistic strategy for tackling concerns related to gambling harm. MilGam will also work closely with colleagues at the long-established Veterans and Families Institute at Anglia Ruskin University, Chelmsford in order to build on the close-ties that the Institute has with the military community.
Meet the Research Team
Professor Simon Dymond
Director of MilGAM
Simon is Professor of Psychology and Behaviour Analysis at Swansea University, where he is also Director of the Experimental Psychopathology Lab and Director of the Gambling Research, Education and Treatment (GREAT) Network Wales. Simon’s research focusses on learning and experimental psychopathology; fear, anxiety and avoidance; gambling disorder; clinical behaviour analysis; and relational frame theory.
Professor Matt Fossey
Co-Director of MilGAM
Matt has a background in social work, national health policy and service delivery, and is particularly interested in demonstrating research impact. In 2015 Matt founded the Veterans and Families Institute (VFI). With 15 staff, over 100 publications and £5 million in research income, the VFI is recognised as an international leader for social research with the military, veterans and their families.
Dr Glen Dighton
Research Officer
Glen has been researching gambling and it’s impacts in the military and veteran community since 2016. Alongside this, his research interests include other behavioural addictions and veterans/military mental health more generally, the gambling/gaming mergence, gambling in e-sports, and how influencers/content creators advertise gambling.
Sam Treacy
Research Officer
Sam is currently working on the SAGE II project. Sam is interested in the interactions between the criminal justice system and military personnel who gamble, and the experiences of their friends and family. She is in the process of completing a PhD regarding paramilitarism.
Conor Heath
Research Assistant - ACTIVATE
Conor is the Research Assistant working on the ACTIVATE project, a smartphone-based digital intervention which incorporates Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT) as a treatment for PTSD and/or gambling related harms in military veterans. Conor is himself a military veteran, having served five years in 1st Battalion, the Welsh Guards.
Dr Chloe Rayner
Research Officer – Look Back to Move Forward Study
Chloe is currently working on the Look Back to Move Forward project, working with veterans to develop a new timeline-based assessment and treatment monitoring tool. Chloe has recently completed her PhD which developed a novel psychoeducational intervention targeting substance use among music festival attendees. She has over ten years of experience working with hard-to-reach groups within frontline services, including substance use, probation, and homelessness services.
Dr Matthew Jones
Research Officer – SAGE Study
Matthew is a researcher and psychotherapist based in Swansea, South Wales. Whilst his primary role is as a Research Officer in the MilGAM team, Matthew is also involved with research in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at Swansea University. Matthew also maintains a few hours of clinical work each week.
Dr Adanma Ekenna
Research Assistant – Habits Study
Adanma is a public health and community physician who focuses her research on identifying weaknesses in the health system and mitigating strategies. Adanma plays the role of a quantitative data manager in the Veterans’ Habit study. Here, she seeks to contribute to improving access to support for veterans struggling with harmful gambling.
Dana Dekel
Research Officer – Habits Study
