The Gambling Truth
Overview
The Gambling Truth is an organization that challenges industry-driven narratives and provides clear, honest, and recovery-focused information about gambling addiction.
Timeframe
7 months
My Role
UX Researcher, UI/UX Designer
The Problem
$500+ billion
is generated annually by the global gambling industry, yet many systems designed to help those harmed by it are funded by the industry itself.
<2%
of users actually engage with responsible gaming materials, according to a GameSense study, despite high general awareness of these programs.
96%
of bettors lose money under the house's algorithmic architecture as revealed through a study tracking 700,000+ digital bettors over a 5-year period.
The Key Issues
Conflict of interest in support systems
Many helplines and resources are funded by the gambling industry, influencing how addiction is framed and addressed.
Misleading “responsible gambling” narrative
Messaging promotes moderation, despite evidence that individuals with gambling addiction cannot reliably engage in gambling responsibly.
Lack of lived-experience representation
Few platforms center the voices of individuals in recovery, limiting authenticity and relatability.
Enter: The Gambling Truth
An organization challenging the normalization of gambling by exposing its true predatory nature and reframing addiction as a health issue rather than a personal failure. Through data-driven advocacy and education, they dismantle the illusion of the "easy win" to protect vulnerable communities.
Research - Competitive Analysis
Stop Predatory Gambling
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Educational Resource Center: Functions as a large institutional repository that houses deep academic research and data pertaining to predatory gambling
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Self-Service FAQ Framework: Features a highly comprehensive list of micro-targeted questions addressing specific legal and societal impacts of gambling
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Deep "About Us" Narrative: Provides an extensive structural breakdown detailing the organization's history, leadership team, financial transparency, and foundational mission
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Multi-Pronged "Take Action" Hub: Offers an expansive matrix of real-world activation paths, allowing users to start local chapters, hold prayer vigils, host challenges, or petition Congress
The Truth
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High-Velocity Campaign Interface: Relies on bite-sized, high-impact data points and minimal visual noise
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Streamlined Three-Tier Architecture: Utilizes a highly efficient, ultra-flat information architecture built around three core pillars (Why Act, Act Now, Need Help Quitting?)
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Localized, state-specific advocacy: This localized product framing makes macro-level advocacy feel personally relevant to users
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Story-Driven User Engagement Loop: Employs a low-friction "Share Your Story" framework to convert passive consumers into active creators
Key Design Opportunities
🔧 Design opportunity: Convert dense industry statistics into an interactive, visual data dashboard to let users visually absorb the scale of the gambling industry's negative tactics
🔧 Design opportunity: Showcase the mission and members that make up the organization. Connect individual profiles directly to their respective content, showing users the real-world impact and active work of each member
🔧 Design opportunity: Highlight content exposing the truth behind the industry through video clips and social posts created by each member. This transforms traditional academic research into bite-sized, digestible multimedia
Information Architecture
Below is the design's IA which condenses various elements into 6 sub-pages allowing users to:
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Understand: A dedicated space establishing the core mission, 30-year history, and organizational transparency of The Gambling Truth
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Take Action: A high-impact, task-oriented section allowing users to mobilize instantly through targeted initiatives like signing petitions to Congress
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Donate: A friction-free transactional pathway optimized to secure financial support and transparency for grassroots efforts
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Get Help: A vital, high-accessibility resource hub designed to provide immediate support pipelines for individuals seeking to quit
The Solution
Interaction Design
The initial design phase focused on creating low-fidelity wireframes. We developed multiple design variations for key pages to test different user flows and determine the most intuitive user experience.
Visual Design
The final design phase focused on creating high-fidelity designs, incorporating brand guidelines, accessibility standards, and interactive prototyping to ensure a seamless, validated user experience.
Home Page
Education and action drive the home page design. Here, users can:
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Quickly understand the realities of modern gambling and how gambling products are designed to encourage continued play
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Explore key industry truths through engaging, research-backed content and interactive storytelling
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Learn about the social and financial impacts of gambling addiction through accessible educational resources
What We Do Page
This page serves as a hub for users to explore each pillar in greater depth and understand the organization's impact:
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Learn about the three core pillars: Public Awareness, Policy Advocacy, and Addiction Support
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Explore educational content that exposes the harms of the gambling industry and its impact on individuals, families, and communities
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View impact metrics and key statistics that demonstrate the organization's work and reach
About Us Page
This section helps establish credibility while connecting users to the mission behind the platform:
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Learn about Gambling Truth's mission to expose deceptive gambling industry practices and advocate for consumer protection
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Understand the organization's vision for treating gambling addiction as a public health issue
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Explore the research, advocacy, and educational principles that guide the platform's work
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Meet the team and partners working to create awareness and drive policy change
Our Top Issues Page
This page highlights the key gambling-related challenges Gambling Truth is actively addressing while providing users with opportunities to support ongoing advocacy efforts:
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Explore active policy issues and petitions focused on reducing gambling-related harm
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Learn about the specific problems being addressed, why they matter, and who is impacted
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Understand the proposed solutions and legislative actions being advocated for
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Track progress through campaign updates, milestones, and advocacy outcomes
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Sign petitions and participate in advocacy efforts directly from the page
Take Action Page
This page transforms awareness into meaningful action by providing users with tangible ways to support Gambling Truth's mission:
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Contact legislators and policymakers to advocate for stronger consumer protections and gambling reform
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Access pre-written templates and resources that make advocacy more approachable and effective.
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Support ongoing awareness and policy initiatives through donations
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Submit personal stories and experiences to amplify the voices of those impacted by gambling addiction
Donate Page
Designed to serve both individual supporters and institutional partners, this page provides clear pathways for contributing to Gambling Truth’s mission:
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Choose between giving as an individual donor or an institutional partner
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Manage and customize their donations based on contribution preferences and frequency
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See the impact of their contributions through transparent updates, metrics, and initiative-specific outcomes
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Schedule a chat with the founders to discuss larger donations, partnerships, or long-term support opportunities
Help Quitting Page
Designed to meet users where they are, this page connects individuals to immediate, localized, and national resources for gambling addiction support:
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Access state-specific resources tailored to gambling addiction support services available in their local area
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Find the national helpline for immediate, confidential assistance and crisis support
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Explore additional trusted resources, including recovery programs, counseling services, and educational tools
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Send a direct message to the Gambling Truth team for guidance on finding the right support or taking the first step toward recovery
Current State and Conclusions
This project was both a professional and personal learning experience, allowing me to step fully into a product designer role while working on a mission-driven platform with real-world impact:
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I gained experience balancing user needs, content strategy, and business goals within a complex, research-heavy domain
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I learned how to translate nuanced and often heavy subject matter into clear, structured, and accessible UX flows
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By collaborating closely with the founders I developed a deeper understanding of the gambling industry, its systemic harms, and the importance of responsible information design
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I strengthened my ability to design for both education and action, ensuring users could move from awareness to meaningful engagement
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I walked away with a stronger appreciation for designing with purpose, empathy, and real-world impact in mind