Maria Bellringer

Maria E. Bellringer — My academic journey and work in gambling-harm research

I am a public health researcher based in New Zealand, and my work focuses on understanding gambling behaviour, gambling-related harm, and how evidence can be used to reduce harm at the population, community, and family levels. I am currently an Associate Professor at Auckland University of Technology (AUT) and serve as Director of the Gambling and Addictions Research Centre (GARC), which operates within AUT’s Public Health and Mental Health Research Institute.

Over the past two decades, my research has been grounded in a public-health perspective. Rather than viewing gambling harm solely as an individual pathology, I approach it as a social and population-level issue that intersects with health, inequality, community wellbeing, and public policy.

Academic foundations and early training

My academic training began in the biomedical sciences. I hold a PhD in biochemistry, and my early research experience was in toxicology. This background strongly shaped how I approach research: I place a high value on measurement quality, longitudinal data, careful interpretation of associations, and methodological transparency.

Although my early work was laboratory-based, I became increasingly interested in how scientific methods could be applied to real-world public health problems. This interest eventually led me into gambling-harm research in the early 2000s, at a time when New Zealand was beginning to invest more systematically in population-level evidence on gambling participation and harm.

Moving into gambling-harm research

I have been involved in gambling-related research since 2002. From the outset, my work has focused on understanding not only who gambles, but how gambling behaviour changes over time and how harm is distributed across society.

In New Zealand, gambling is embedded in social, economic, and cultural contexts. Harms are not confined to a small group of individuals with severe problems; they extend to families, communities, and social systems. This reality has informed my long-standing commitment to harm minimisation, prevention, and evidence-informed policy.

My role at AUT and GARC

At AUT, I am part of the Public Health and Mental Health Research Institute, where I contribute to research leadership, mentoring, and applied scholarship. As Director of the Gambling and Addictions Research Centre, I lead a multidisciplinary research programme that spans:

• population surveys and longitudinal studies
• qualitative research with affected individuals and families
• evaluation of interventions and treatment approaches
• emerging risks such as online gambling and digital gaming convergence

My role involves not only conducting research, but also translating findings into forms that are useful for policymakers, service providers, and communities.

The New Zealand National Gambling Study

One of the most substantial bodies of work I have contributed to is the New Zealand National Gambling Study (NGS). This longitudinal programme was designed to track gambling participation, risk levels, and harm over time within a nationally representative cohort.

What makes this work particularly important to me is its ability to move beyond static classifications. Rather than treating gambling risk as fixed, the NGS allows us to examine transitions: how people move between low-risk, moderate-risk, and higher-risk gambling, and how those transitions relate to changes in health, lifestyle, and social circumstances.

I have been involved in both quantitative and qualitative phases of this work, including reports that explore lived experiences of gambling harm alongside population-level patterns.

Research themes that define my work

Gambling harm as a public-health issue

My research consistently frames gambling harm within a public-health model. This means focusing on wellbeing, quality of life, and social inequities — not just diagnostic thresholds.

Behavioural change over time

I am particularly interested in how changes in gambling behaviour co-occur with changes in other health and lifestyle factors. Longitudinal data allow us to identify periods where prevention or early intervention may be most effective.

Families, communities, and inequity

Much of my work recognises that gambling harm often affects more than the individual gambler. Families, partners, children, and wider communities frequently experience financial stress, relationship strain, and reduced wellbeing.

I have contributed to research involving Pacific families and communities, including work connected to the Pacific Islands Families Study, where gambling is examined within broader social and cultural contexts.

Youth and early risk pathways

Another strand of my research explores youth-related risk factors and developmental pathways. Understanding how early social environments and behaviours intersect with gambling risk is essential for upstream prevention.

Online gambling and digital convergence

More recently, my work has expanded to include online gambling and free-to-play (F2P) gaming, reflecting global shifts in how gambling-like mechanics are experienced. These environments raise new questions about exposure, harm, and regulation, particularly for younger users.

How I view the purpose of my work

My goal has always been to produce research that matters beyond academia. I aim to generate evidence that helps policymakers design fairer systems, supports service providers in reaching those most affected, and contributes to informed public discussion about gambling and harm.

I see gambling-harm research not as an abstract exercise, but as a practical tool for improving wellbeing — particularly for those communities that experience disproportionate impacts.

How I approach research, evidence, and impact

When I reflect on my work in gambling-harm research, one principle consistently guides my decisions: evidence should be useful, not just accurate. From the beginning of my career in this field, I have been motivated by the question of how research findings can be translated into meaningful action—whether that action takes the form of policy change, service design, prevention strategies, or improved public understanding.

My approach is firmly rooted in public health methodology. I do not view gambling-related harm as an isolated behavioural issue, but as a phenomenon shaped by social context, economic conditions, product design, accessibility, and regulation. As a result, much of my work examines gambling within broader systems of health and wellbeing rather than in isolation. This perspective is especially important in New Zealand, where gambling harm is unevenly distributed and often intersects with existing social inequities.

A key feature of my research philosophy is the use of longitudinal data. Cross-sectional studies can tell us who is experiencing harm at a given moment, but they cannot adequately explain how or why people move into and out of risk over time. Through longitudinal research—most notably the New Zealand National Gambling Study—I have been able to examine patterns of stability, escalation, and recovery, and to identify factors that are associated with meaningful change. This type of evidence is particularly valuable for prevention and early intervention, because it highlights points where support may be most effective.

Equally important to me is the integration of qualitative research. Numbers alone cannot fully capture the lived experience of gambling harm, especially its impact on families, relationships, and everyday life. Interviews and narrative data provide context, depth, and nuance, and they often reveal forms of harm that are not immediately visible through standard metrics. By combining quantitative and qualitative methods, I aim to produce a more complete and ethically grounded understanding of harm.

Another priority in my work is ensuring that research remains policy-relevant without being policy-driven. Independence and methodological rigour are essential, particularly when working on commissioned research or government-funded projects. My role is not to advocate for predetermined outcomes, but to provide clear, transparent evidence that decision-makers can use responsibly.

Ultimately, I see my work as part of a broader effort to reduce preventable harm and to support healthier communities. Research, in my view, has the greatest value when it contributes to informed dialogue, challenges assumptions, and helps systems respond more effectively to real human experiences.

The shift from land-based venues to online platforms

One of the most widely discussed developments in gambling research is the gradual transition from traditional gambling venues to online platforms. Historically, most gambling activity in New Zealand occurred in physical environments such as casinos, betting venues, and community gaming machines. However, the growth of mobile technology and international gaming platforms has created a new digital gambling landscape.

Online environments offer players immediate access to a wide variety of games, often supported by automated systems that provide real-time gameplay, account management tools, and promotional offers. While these features increase convenience, they also change how players interact with gambling products. Researchers therefore analyse online behaviour differently from traditional venue-based gambling, focusing on session length, frequency of deposits, and patterns of play across multiple platforms.

Behavioural indicators studied by researchers

Academic research on gambling behaviour does not assume that all participation leads to harm. In fact, many studies indicate that most individuals engage in gambling as a form of recreational entertainment. Nevertheless, researchers monitor specific behavioural indicators that may signal elevated risk levels for certain players.

Among the most commonly studied indicators are extended gambling sessions, repeated wagering attempts after financial losses, and frequent deposits within short time periods. These behaviours can sometimes suggest that a player is attempting to recover previous losses or maintain a prolonged gaming session. Understanding such patterns allows researchers and public health organisations to design strategies aimed at preventing gambling-related harm.

Tracking participation trends over time

Long-term research projects frequently analyse how gambling participation changes over time. Tracking these trends allows experts to evaluate how technological innovations, regulatory changes, and consumer behaviour influence gambling environments. In New Zealand, participation levels have gradually increased in online gambling formats as digital entertainment platforms become more widely adopted.

Monitoring these trends is particularly important for policymakers and public health experts who work on responsible gambling initiatives. Reliable data helps determine whether harm-reduction strategies are effective and whether certain demographic groups may require additional support or education related to gambling behaviour.

The chart below illustrates a simplified representation of estimated participation growth in online gambling among New Zealand players during recent years.

Public health perspective on gambling participation

Research on gambling in New Zealand is often framed within a broader public health perspective. Rather than focusing only on individual gambling habits, researchers analyse how environmental, social, and economic factors influence gambling participation across the population. This approach allows experts to examine not only the benefits of regulated entertainment but also the potential risks associated with excessive gambling exposure.

Public health research emphasises that gambling environments exist within complex social systems. Accessibility, advertising practices, technological design, and regulatory frameworks all contribute to how individuals interact with gambling products. For this reason, many studies evaluate gambling behaviour not as an isolated activity but as part of wider patterns of leisure, financial decision-making, and digital entertainment consumption.

In New Zealand, research institutions frequently collaborate with policymakers and community organisations to develop strategies that reduce potential harm while maintaining responsible entertainment environments. These strategies may include public education initiatives, support services for individuals experiencing gambling difficulties, and policy recommendations aimed at improving consumer protection standards.

The importance of long-term behavioural studies

Longitudinal research plays an important role in understanding how gambling behaviour develops over time. By analysing data collected across multiple years, researchers are able to identify patterns that might not be visible in short-term studies. These patterns may include changes in participation rates, differences between demographic groups, and the influence of emerging technologies on gambling habits.

In particular, the growth of digital gambling platforms has encouraged researchers to examine how player engagement evolves in online environments. Unlike traditional venues, online platforms allow continuous access to games, automated betting systems, and personalised user interfaces. These characteristics can significantly influence how players interact with gambling products, which is why behavioural monitoring has become a central component of modern gambling research.

Long-term studies also help researchers evaluate the effectiveness of responsible gambling initiatives. By comparing participation data before and after the introduction of regulatory measures or support programmes, experts can assess whether these interventions successfully reduce gambling-related harm. Such evidence-based approaches are essential for designing policies that balance consumer protection with the availability of regulated entertainment.

As digital technologies continue to transform gambling environments worldwide, ongoing research remains crucial for understanding how players engage with gaming platforms and how potential risks can be mitigated through responsible policy development and public health strategies.