This report is a third-party evaluation of Gamgard, an online rating tool designed to assist in risk assessment of game characteristics, designs, and features to vulnerable populations. The evaluation was commissioned by the founding designers and developers of the tool (Gamres Ltd.) to meet the requirements of the World Lottery Association (WLA) and Gamgard customers. It was conducted by Professor Emeritus J. Bradley Cousins, an evaluation specialist who is part of the University of Ottawa’s Centre for Research on Educational and Community Services. The evaluation adhered to the Joint Committee for Standards in Educational Evaluation’s Program Evaluation Standards.
Five unique data sources were used in the evaluation: interviews with individuals and groups representing Gamgard corporate customers and regulatory bodies; web-based support documents for the tool; Gamgard scores from prior applications of the tool to various game types; service provider reports detailing the client’s gambling vulnerabilities; and research reports detailing Gamgard’s evidence base. The report concluded that Gamgard is meeting its objectives; the tool has been integrated into social responsibility protocols at organizations internationally; the assessment rating of the tool is credible and grounded in science-based evidence; and the tool corroborated research that identified high-risk games.
See page 15 for the Gamgard logic model.
