Key findings

• Online peer support plays a distinctive, complementary role in gambling harm support. It is most often used alongside formal services rather than instead of them, with its primary value lying in lived-experience connection that reduces shame, normalises recovery, and fosters hope.
• Engagement is flexible, non-linear, and often invisible but still impactful. Many people benefit through passive participation (e.g. reading or observing), which should be recognised as meaningful engagement, while others move fluidly between posting, messaging, meetings, and peer-to-peer support as needs change.
• Accessibility is a major strength — but benefits are unevenly distributed. Anonymity, flexibility, and out-of-hours availability lower barriers to help-seeking, particularly during moments of distress. However, digital exclusion, limited culturally specific spaces, and constrained one-to-one provision restrict access for some groups; women-only spaces were consistently identified as especially valuable.
• Peer support has limits in crisis contexts and requires proportionate safeguarding. People may seek online peer support during acute distress, often without explicit crisis language. While empathy and validation are valuable, clear boundaries, training, and support for peer supporters are essential to manage risk, prevent burnout, and ensure safety./li>