Operators Give £10.6M to GambleAware
UK charity GambleAware has published a full list of the donations and pledges it received during the first half of the financial year. The results show that it took in £10.6 million in donations from operators across the industry.
Bet365 topped the list of donations, gifting £4.2 million to the charity. ©Javon Swaby/Pexels
Bet365 Tops Donations
GambleAware’s newly published list of donations and pledges reveal which British operators have been its most charitable donors so far during this financial year. The full list details how much the organization received in donations and pledges between April and September 2021.
In a press release, the gambling harms charity explained that the £10.6 million sum it received from gambling firms was all gifted voluntarily, and did not include regulatory settlements. It also took the opportunity to thank those who donated for their much-valued support.
GambleAware asks that all those who profit from gambling in the UK donate at least 0.1% of their Gross Gambling Yield every year, as part of guidance issued by the Gambling Commission. Those earning an annual gross gambling revenue of less than £250,000 are asked donate a minimum of £250.
The “big four” leading operators have increased their contribution levels, in line with commitments to raise their annual GGY donation from 0.1% to 1% by 2023. This year, the pledged percentage contribution of leading operators is 0.5% of GGY. Those operators are bet365, Flutter Entertainment, William Hill and Entain.
The list of GambleAware patrons reveals bet365 to be its top patron. The betting and gaming firm from Stoke-on-Trent donated a combined £4.2 million to the charity’s efforts. Bet365 is led by Denise Coates, one of Britain’s wealthiest women who has been the UK’s highest paid CEO for a number of years.
Bet365 is followed by Entain, which donated £2 million. Third on the list, William Hill donated £1 million. In total, the three top donors accounted for 90% of the charity’s contributions, adding up to £8 million. Entain also pledged to make a further donation of £2 million, while National Lottery operator Camelot pledged £450,000.
Supporting Commissioning Objectives
As well as the pledges that have been formally received, some operators have given written confirmation of their support, with donations to come in the third and fourth quarters of 2021/22. Donations and pledges received after September 30th will be published in the next update to the list, in January 2022.
The new funds that GambleAware has collected will go towards supporting the charity’s four commissioning objectives. These are the Gambling Education Hub, the Annual Great Britain Treatment and Support Survey, the National Gambling Treatment service and awareness campaigns.
The independent, grant-making charity carries out a range of activities, as part of a collaborative, whole-system approach to meet these objectives and make gambling safer in the UK. Acting on this vision, it is currently delivering over forty workstreams against each commissioning objective.
Successful strategies it has undertaken include the expansion of its Gambling Education Hub into England and Wales. This summer it announced plans to launch the UK’s first ever academic research hub specializing in gambling harms. It has committed £4 million to fund the project, which aims to bring new disciplines into the field and build a unified base of evidence.
GambleAware also maintains an Annual Great Britain Treatment & Support Survey, which tracks demand and support for treatment across the UK. The 2020 survey, commissioned by GambleAware and using data collected by YouGov, noted a year-on-year increase in the number of gamblers seeking treatment, advice and support.
One of GambleAware’s principal initiatives is the National Gambling Treatment Service. This includes the begambleaware.org website, the National Gambling Helpline and treatment services all over Britain. The network allows GambleAware to pair those requesting support with the most appropriate package of care.
Those seeking confidential advice and support can speak to an advisor on the National Gambling Helpline, which is operated by GamCare. A webchat option is also available, and both are accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Rising Demand for Support
The charity also conducts national prevention and awareness campaigns, including “Bet Regret” and the National Gambling Treatment Service campaign. In January, it launched its “Start to Regain Control” campaign, which draws attention to situations where gambling overshadows other aspects of daily life.
Newly published results show that GambleAware’s campaigns for the service have increased awareness. The campaigns were effectively targeted, reaching 74% of male gamblers at high risk and 79% of affected others. Numbers of those at highest risk that said that they would consider contacting the service for help rose from 47% in May 2020 to 60% in August 2021. GambleAware CEO Zoë Osmond praised the campaign’s positive tracking results, stating:
“It is heartening to see that this campaign is helping to signpost more people to treatment for gambling harms, and also working to drive greater awareness of the provision of treatment services.”
Meanwhile, demand for help and support is rising. Calls to the National Gambling Helpline have increased by 41% over the last two years. An increasing number of high-risk gamblers have admitted to gambling more due to the pandemic. As of August 2021, that figure stood at 38%, compared to 24% in May 2020.
The charity upweighted its latest campaign in London and the Midlands, as research indicated higher rates of high-risk gamblers in these areas. As a result, 40% of all male gamblers aged between 16 and 44 in London said that they would contact the treatment service or helpline if they needed support, compared to 31% across the UK.
Announcing the donations and pledges it has received so far this year, GambleAware stated that it acts on a robust, independent and accountable system of governance process and procedures. The charity’s Board of trustees is entirely independent of the gambling industry, and the industry has no influence of the charity’s commissioning decisions.
