The use of research by societal stakeholders in a formal policy-making process: governing gambling in Norway

Abstract Governing commercial gambling is a contested and at times controversial public policy arena. Norway has recently re-regulated gambling in an effort to reinvigorate its unique gambling policy model. This article provides an empirical exploration of the use of scientific research by stakeholders participating in the public phase of gambling policy development and implementation as law and regulations. The paper analyses the types of research used in submissions to public hearings made by stakeholders and participants in gambling. The paper utilizes the approach and concepts of the narrative policy framework theory of the policy process. The results explore how research is used to construct policy narratives and advance different preferred policy solutions. Insights from the results include how stakeholders also use research to position themselves relative to the public policy problematic and how the value of research results are configured by the narrative in which they are embedded.