With research carried out under the guidance of Ipsos Mori and the Institute for Social Marketing at the University of Stirling, volume of spend is said to be on the rise across multiple forms of media during the 2015-2018 time frame examined.

Also identifying further contributing factors, such as the role of family and friends, within the data captured no examples of gambling adverts being placed within children’s media were found.

However, researchers deemed that a portion of the content could have a direct appeal to children and young people, including celebrity endorsements, memorable songs and catchphrases.

This was said to be found in 11 per cent of ads on mainstream media and 59 per cent of esports gambling content on Twitter, due in large part to the use of animated style graphics.

Marc Etches, CEO of GambleAware, explained: “This is an interim report, and as such it is too early to judge the impact of exposure to gambling advertising and marketing on children, young people and vulnerable adults. 

“Nevertheless, the research does make important recommendations, including the need for clearer and more regular messages on gambling adverts of the risks associated with gambling, and the need to strengthen age verification processes on social media platforms.”

Suggesting more could be done with existing technology to manage exposure, research also identified “little evidence of prominent consumer protection messages – such as age warnings or promotion of lower-risk gambling”.

Approximately 22 per cent of mainstream media adverts were judged to contain features such as implied limited risk or inflated chances of winning, rising to 37 per cent on Twitter.

The final phase of the research and subsequent findings will focus more on the impact of gambling marketing and advertising, and will be published later in the year.

Ian Angus, programme director of consumer protection and empowerment at the Gambling Commission, added: “We welcome the publication of this interim report which contributes towards the delivery of the recently launched national strategy to reduce gambling harms.

“This research takes a significant step to address gaps in understanding of this issue and provides a clearer picture of the volume, tone and content of gambling advertising and sponsorship in Great Britain, and the extent to which children, young people and vulnerable adults are exposed to it.

“We await the findings of the second phase report with interest. In the meantime, we are pleased to see that the report identifies clear areas for action that gambling firms can take now, and we therefore expect them to redouble their efforts to address public concerns about the volume and nature of gambling advertising and sport sponsorship.”

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Etches detailed his intention to step aside in August 2021, with Osmond lauded as bringing “a wealth of knowledge to the role” having been communications and engagement director at the charity for the past two years.

Furthermore, she also has a strong track record of driving business growth across the charity and business world, having previously held CEO, managing partner and global business director roles. 

Kate Lampard CBE, chair of GambleAware, said of the appointment: “In the past two and a half years that I and trustees have worked with Zoë, she has demonstrated to us that she fits the criteria we are looking for perfectly. Her knowledge and experience of GambleAware means she can hit the ground running, something that is of particular importance when starting a leadership role during a pandemic.

“Her background as a charity leader and experience of driving business transformation shows that she understands what it takes to lead a major organisation working with a complex stakeholder group that requires a confident, consultative and collaborative approach.

“Her ability to work with a wide range of subject matter experts and her experience of transforming a charity, building businesses, and leading change will be instrumental in taking GambleAware to the next stage in its development.”

Since 2018, Osmond has been leading the delivery of GambleAware’s multi-million pound Safer Gambling and treatment campaigns and has worked with stakeholders across public health, government, media, academia and the industry to ensure campaign success. 

Through this work, and the delivery of a comprehensive review of the charity’s strategic positioning and communications agenda in 2019, which helped to inform the direction of GambleAware, Osmond has developed a clear understanding of the opportunities and challenges the charity and sector faces.

“GambleAware is at an exciting moment in its history, and over the past ten years, Marc Etches has done a phenomenal job in leading the charity to this point,” Osmond noted. 

“It is a critical time for the gambling sector and the recent pledge of up to £100m from the gambling industry means this is a significant time to shape and drive forward GambleAware’s vital work and develop its own expertise. 

“I am excited by the prospect of transformation and the opportunities now available to GambleAware to work with other organisations to prevent gambling harm and I look forward to taking on the challenge.”

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Under his stewardship GambleAware has seen a substantial increase in funding and donations, with leading members of the Betting and Gaming Council also having recently committed further funding of £100m for the next four years.

The charity now boasts £40m of grant funding under active management, which is to help GambleAware in developing the National Gambling Treatment Service with its partners across England, Scotland and Wales.

Etches commented: “It has been an extraordinary privilege to serve as CEO for nearly a decade and I am enormously proud of the charity’s development and the contribution it makes, in partnerships with others, to keeping people safe from gambling harms.

“With the prospect of a new era of increased funding and wider commissioning responsibilities, it is the right time for the charity to find someone with the skills and expertise necessary to take it into the next stage of its evolution.

“I want to thank the board of trustees and the entire staff team at GambleAware for their hard work and commitment to the charity’s purpose as well as for their magnificent personal support of me.”

The process to select a new chief executive will be led and overseen by GambleAware’s board of trustees, with the group seeking an individuals with appropriate expertise, including in commissioning healthcare services, who will be able to continue to ensure gambling harms are understood and tackled as a matter of public and individual health and wellbeing.

Kate Lampard CBE, chair of GambleAware, said of the impending departure: “It has been a pleasure working with Marc over the past four years and he has taken the charity from strength to strength.

“As a result of his hard work, GambleAware has developed the expertise and sustainability to continue to deliver and work with partners across the healthcare spectrum to prevent and protect against gambling harms. I look forward to continuing this important work with a new chief executive next year.”  

Brigid Simmonds, chairperson of the Betting and Gaming Council, also commented on the news: “During his tenure, the contribution from the gambling industry towards research, education and treatment of problem gambling has continued to increase, allowing GambleAware to expand the range of treatment services it provides across the UK.

“That is in no small part due to the leadership Marc has offered. Although fiercely independent, GambleAware has worked closely with our members to help inform their approach to safer gambling. I have known and worked with Marc for many years. 

“He has been an excellent CEO. We wish him every success in the future and look forward to working with his successor to continue the drive towards higher industry standards.”

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The research revealed that nine in ten (90 per cent) of the 9,008 clients who completed treatment between April 2019 and March 2020 showed improvement on the PGSI scale, which is used to measure severity of gambling disorders. 

Additionally, among those defined as ‘problem gamblers’ at the start of the treatment three in five (60 per cent) were no longer placed in the category.

Marc Etches, GambleAware CEO, commented: “The publication of this detailed analysis, of the impact the National Gambling Treatment Service can have on people receiving support, is a significant milestone. GambleAware commissioned ViewItUK to independently collate and analyse output and outcome data, which will allow GambleAware to rigorously evaluate these outcomes on the basis of robust and comparable evidence.

“We are committed to informing the development of best practice and outstanding care for those experiencing gambling harms in Great Britain, and the data reporting system we are pioneering is designed to be made available to the NHS, Public Health, local authorities and other statutory and voluntary sector agencies to meet the needs of local communities.”

Another severity measure used by the services, alongside the PGSI score, is the CORE-10 scale, which is a survey used to monitor psychological distress. The researchers found for those clients that ended the treatment, their CORE-10 score reduced by an average of eight points, with 74 per cent classed as below the threshold of ‘moderate’ distress. For clients who completed their treatment, four in five (86 per cent) improved their CORE-10 score.

The report found that 90 per cent of referrals for treatment were self-made and that 50 per cent of individuals were seen within three days of referral and 75 per cent within eight days. It was also found that between 2015/16 and 2019/20 the proportion of clients completing scheduled treatment increased from 59 per cent to 69 per cent whilst the proportion dropping out of treatment decreased from 35 per cent to 24 per cent.

When examining the profile of the gamblers using the service between April 2019 and March 2020 the analysis found:

• A total of 9,008 individuals were treated within the National Gambling Treatment Service and three quarters of clients (75 per cent) were male. 
• Almost nine tenths (89 per cent) were from a white ethnic background and the next most commonly reported ethnic backgrounds were Asian or Asian British (five per cent), followed by Black or Black British (three per cent).
• Clients had an average age of 34 years at time of referral, with 25 per cent saying they started problem gambling by the age of 19 and 50 per cent said it was by the age of 24.

Commissioned by GambleAware, NGTS is a network of organisations working together to provide confidential treatment and support for anyone experiencing gambling harms. This is the first time GambleAware have published a detailed report outlining statistics for the National Gambling Treatment Service.

To read the full report, click here.

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These figures come after details of the donations for the 12 months ending 31 March 2020 were published. The funding provided by the industry enables GambleAware to commission a coherent, coordinated and efficient system of prevention and treatment to keep people across England, Scotland and Wales safe from gambling harms.

Marc Etches, CEO of GambleAware, explained: “For the tenth year in a row, we have seen an increase in donations, which means for the first time, we have been able to meet our minimum target of £10m. 

“Commissioning a coherent, coordinated and efficient system of prevention and treatment requires the strategic distribution of sufficient funding, guided by appropriate expertise underpinned by effective partnership working.”

Working in partnership with expert organisations and agencies, including the NHS, these donations fund a range of services, including the National Gambling Treatment Service, which includes the National Gambling Helpline.

Etches concluded: “GambleAware is currently the primary commissioner using best-practice to ensure that evidence informed services are developed according to need within a robust and accountable system, and that funding is allocated efficiently and independently as one would expect of other health and social care commissioning and grant-making bodies.

“Our mission is to keep people safe from gambling harm and these donations are vital to making sure we are able to deliver on that mission. Gambling is a serious public health issue in Great Britain, with two million adults experiencing some level of gambling harm. 

“With these donations, we are able to continue funding the National Gambling Treatment Service to provide treatment for those who need it, while working in partnership with the NHS and Citizens Advice amongst others.”

GVC Holdings, the umbrella group for Ladbrokes and Coral, topped the list of donations to the charity after contributing £1.46m, followed by Flutter Entertainment and William Hill, which both contributed £1m.

Bet365 and Sky Betting and Gaming were also high on the list of donors with £868,000 and £705,000 respectively, as the Rank Group‘s effort were stipulated as £568,900 for the year.

Grosvenor contributed £309,100, followed by Mecca Bingo which donated £173,900. Grosvenor.com, the online division of Grosvenor, gave £23,500 while Meccabingo.com donated £62,400.

For the year, GambleAware received £1.44 million in regulatory settlement from Playtech, LeoVegas and Gamesys (Gibraltar) Limited.

LeoVegas was penalised by the UK Gambling Commission for failings relating to misleading advertising and the handling of customers at the end of their self-exclusion period, and agreed to pay £600,000 to the charity.

Gamesys was reprimanded by the UKGC for failing to prevent gambling harm and breaching money laundering regulations, and agreed to make a payment of £690,000 in lieu of a financial penalty.

Following publication the Betting and Gaming Council commented: “We are pleased that our members have stepped up their funding of GambleAware along with a range of other charities to increase the help and support available to those at risk.

“Our largest members have gone further and committed up to an additional £100 million to research, education and treatment over the next four years, increasing donations from 0.1% of profit to 1% of profit.

“With a continued focus on advertising, it is good to see £3.8 million raised from the industry for the Bet Regret campaign which amplifies safer gambling messages and also has the support of major media partners. This work and funding will continue in 2020/21.

“Through continued funding by our industry over more than 20 years charitable services are able to provide free of charge treatment, support & advice services for anyone affected by gambling.”

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Striving to continue to dramatise the feeling of Bet Regret the initiative is not accompanied by the line ‘think twice or you’ll Bet Regret it,’ said to be reflected upon as a simple piece of advice to prompt people to pause and reconsider.

The second phase of activity is also supported by a sponsorship donation across England and Scotland courtesy of GVC Holdings, which is to see the firm donate numerous football sponsorship assets.

This is to see the removal of assets relating to the gaming and betting group, with the Bet Regret logo set to be featured in place of key collateral.

Of those included as part of the donation are all 42 clubs in the Scottish Football League, Sunderland, West Bromwich Albion, Burnley, Sheffield Wednesday and Sheffield United

The first wave of activity took place in the second half of the 2018/19 season, coming with an objective “to shift attitudes and provoke conversation on the moderation of sports betting, through the avoidance of impulsive, risky behaviours such as chasing losses in the heat of the moment.”

GambleAware states that it continues to explore other partnerships to support the campaign throughout the 2019/20 season.

Marc Etches, CEO of GambleAware, stated: “The Bet Regret campaign is really starting to gain momentum, and seems, at this early stage, to be resonating with our audience. This season, we look to build on that, drive more conversations around Safer Gambling, and help people think twice to steer clear of Bet Regret.” 

Bet Regret targets an audience estimated at 2.4m aged between 16-34 who gamble regularly on sport, and of which 87 per cent regularly watch football, the campaign is centred around raising awareness of three risky behaviours of betting whilst bored, drunk or chasing losses. 

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Delivered in conjunction with the Bet Regret safer gambling campaign, the move comes as a new survey finds clubs have to undertake more responsibility to educate fans about the risks of gambling.

The partnership is to see a number of initiatives launched throughout the 2019-20 season to encourage moderation of betting behaviours, particularly when drunk, bored or chasing losses. 

“Football clubs are not like any other business – they are an integral part of many match-going supporters’ lives and have a duty of care,” noted Kevin Miles, chief executive for The Football Supporters’ Association. 

“It’s clear fans want their clubs to do more on educating their supporters about the risks of gambling and alongside GambleAware we’ll be pushing clubs, particularly those with prominent gambling sponsors, to do better.”

The joint GambleAware and FSA survey asked 1,200 fans a range of questions, with many said to be concerned that young supporters are being unnecessarily exposed to gambling messages.

Furthermore, only ten per cent thought their club was doing enough to warn of the risks of gambling, with 13 per cent of respondents agreeing that they are (or would be) happy for their club to be sponsored by such an organisation.

Marc Etches, chief executive officer for GambleAware, commented: “The results of the survey highlight fans’ concerns that football clubs and gambling companies could do more to encourage safe betting and make people, especially young people, aware of the risks.

“Our new partnership with the Football Supporters’ Association is based on a shared agenda to help create a safe betting environment in football. It means the voice of the fans will be heard and allows us to engage directly with them in communities to encourage moderate betting behaviour.” 

Alex Hurst, from Newcastle United supporters’ trust, added: “This is an important piece of work that reflects what we’ve heard from many of our members and the wider fan base, gambling companies have a huge presence at football now and a lot of people can get drawn into addictive betting behaviours.

“Having said that we’re not the fun police, we know lots of fans enjoy a wager as part of their match-day routine, but we’d urge clubs to step up and do more to warn their customers about the risks.”

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The service will be run by Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, and is stated as being “the first NHS gambling service of its kind to launch outside London”.

The offerings first base in Leeds has now opened, with further services in Manchester and Sunderland slated to open in early 2020. 

The NHS Northern Gambling Service will provide care for those with severe addictions, and provide treatment and support for people with:

• Additional and complex mental health conditions.
• Impaired social functioning.
• Those who may present with more risk – such as a risk of suicide.

People will get support through psychological therapies, addiction treatment programmes, mental health treatment, family therapy and peer support from those whose lives have already been adversely affected by gambling. The Service can also offer separate support to family members and carers of those affected by problem gambling.

Marc Etches, CEO of GambleAware, explained: “Our aim is to prevent people getting into problems with their gambling, all the while making sure that those who do develop problems receive fast and effective treatment and support. 

“These new services will play a vital role in making sure those with more serious and complex needs linked to gambling will have quick access to free, fast and effective treatment, wherever they may be. We very much look forward to seeing this clinic open and we would welcome the opportunity to potentially replicate this approach in other areas of the UK in the future.”

In Great Britain around 340,000 people are estimated to have a gambling problem with another two million at risk of developing one. However, fewer than three per cent of those affected currently receive treatment or support.

Matt Hancock, secretary of state for health and social care, stated: “Problem gambling is an addiction which ruins lives for thousands of people and their families. I am determined to do what I can to tackle it. 

“No one’s access to support should depend on where they live, so we are expanding treatment outside of London to help addicts get the support they need to turn their lives around.

“As part of our NHS Long Term Plan, we will continue to roll out these specialist services across the country and undo the damage caused by gambling and protect our most vulnerable. 

“This is all possible thanks to this Government’s historic commitment of £33.9bn extra taxpayers’ money – the largest and longest cash settlement in the history of the NHS.”

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This comes as the GamCare operated and GambleAware funded entity received in excess of 30,000 calls during 2018/9, a figure which is rising year on year.

Consisting of both a live chat and freephone channel, the National Gambling Helpline provides advice, information and support to those suffering from gambling related harm, whether their own or someone else’s.

Anna Hemmings, CEO at GamCare, explained: “It is important that treatment and support services reflect the availability of gambling. As such, we are delighted to be able to extend the hours of operation of the National Gambling Helpline to further support those affected by gambling related harm. 

“With the 24-hour nature of gambling, people sometimes feel at their most isolated overnight, when other support services are closed. They will now be able to reach our highly trained advisers 24 hours a day, who can offer immediate support, advice and referral to our network of treatment services nationally.”

The Gambling Commission estimates there are around 340,000 problem gamblers nationally, with up to two million at risk of developing an issue, with the extended hours necessary to reflect the need for added availability and support.

Helpline advisers respond to caller’s needs, giving them space to listen and explore their issues in confidence. Advisers can provide support online, by telephone and, should people need, can also connect callers with local treatment services.

“GambleAware is responsible for commissioning the National Gambling Helpline, which is a core element of an emerging National Gambling Treatment Service,” noted Marc Etches, CEO of GambleAware. 

“Our priority is to keep people safe and to ensure support services are easily accessible. As such, we are pleased to be funding an extension to the helpline’s operating hours, and we will evaluate its performance over time.”

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The move came as part of the safer gambling campaign aimed at moderating the behaviour of young male bettors, by encouraging them to think twice about betting when drunk, bored or chasing losses.

Launched to enable direct conversation with its target audience nationwide, a team including Sol Campbell, David James, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Joleon Lescott, Paul Konchesky and Carlton Cole, took on the winning team, the Slough Scorpionz.

Marc Etches, CEO of GambleAware, said of the tournament: “The #BetRegret Cup has given us a unique opportunity to work alongside the football community in Britain, and to encourage sports bettors to reflect on their gambling behaviour. 

“We know that football is their most popular sport to watch, play and bet on. The #BetRegret Cup is intended to raise the profile of safer gambling across the football community and encourage self-reflection.” 

The campaign aims to support 2.4m young men aged 18-34 who gamble regularly, the age range typically found at five-a-side centres around the UK and of which it is said that 87 per cent regularly watch football.

At the start of the month GVC Holdings revealed that it’s to donate its football sponsorship assets across England and Scotland to GambleAware in support Bet Regret, which sees 42 clubs remove sponsorship assets relating to the gaming and betting group.

David Rose, deputy chief executive for The Football Supporters’ Association, who are supporters of the Bet Regret campaign, added: “Putting a bet on is a normal and enjoyable part of the match-day routine for many football fans, but it’s important that people know the difference between a considered bet and one that’s impulsive. 

“This is why Bet Regret has resonated so strongly with supporters and the #BetRegret Cup has been such a key part of the campaign.”

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