As reported by Casino Guardian in November, the leading charity in the UK – GambleAware – has called gambling operators in the industry to help financing non-profitable organisations which are focused at treatment and prevention of problem gambling behaviour.
The charity organisation, once known as the Responsible Gambling Trust, also published a completely new 5-year strategy, once again claiming its commitment to help gambling addicts who have been affected by the consequences of problem gambling behaviour. The strategy in question is based on GambleAware’s goal to bring the levels of gambling-related harm to the minimum.
In its press release, dated November 18th, GambleAware called for all companies that profit from gambling activities in the country, including professional sports clubs, lotteries and advertisers, to contribute to activities related to research, education and treatment of people suffer from problem gambling. The organisation also shared that only 3% of the active gamblers in the country are actually being reached by the national network of treatment providers.
So, in the light of its recent research, GambleAware is to implement the new 5-year strategy in order to increase the number of people who could get adequate treatment funded by the organisation. In addition, the strategy is aimed to bringing a new life to the charity’s willingness to provide first-class research on the matter, so the organisation also claimed its plans to generate a 50% increase of its research budget by 2018.
GambleAware 5-Year Strategy
Currently, commercial gambling is not only one of the most popular forms of entertainment in the UK, but also a highly-regulated one. According to recent surveys, about 65% of adults over the age of 16 participate in some form of gambling at least once per year.
GambleAware, previously known as the Responsible Gambling Trust, has always been engaged with the matters related to responsible gambling, and more specifically, with protection and prevention of problem gambling behaviour’s effects. In its new 5-year strategy, the non-profitable organisation has revealed that the problem gamblers in the country have been estimated to 250,000, while further 470,000 have been put to a moderate risk of problem gambling behaviour.
In addition, it seems as there may be a correlation between various socio-demographic factors like age, gender and deprivation and the rates of problem gambling. The latter may also be associated with certain vulnerable groups, such as youngsters, unemployed and homeless people.
The UK-based charity has set a number of objectives in its new 5-year strategy, including:
– Increasing the number of people reached by the national network of treatment services three times.
– Boosting investment in prevention of problem gambling behaviour, especially when it comes to the organisation’s website.
– Boosting the research budget by 50% and setting its yearly expenditures to £1.5 million by 2018.
– Raising £10 million annually from all companies and organisations which benefit from the gambling industry.
Overview
GambleAware has revealed that its major strategic goal has been related with minimising the gambling-related on the territory of the UK. The organisation said it plans to do that by taking a number of harm-minimisation strategies to help the ones who suffer from their problem gambling behaviour, or they have been put to risk.
The organisation has also revealed that its funding priorities are to be guided by the National Responsible Gambling Strategy for the period from 2016 to 2019. GambleAware also shared that its commissioning plans will be developed in collaboration with the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) and the Responsible Gambling Strategy Board (RGSB). In addition, the charity organisation finds it crucial for it to keep its stakeholders’ confidence in the efficiency of the work done, especially considering the fact it is funded through voluntary donations.
The research activities carried out by the company are to be overseen by a special Research Committee and a Treatment Expert Panel. In addition, GambleAware remains positive about its major goals set in the new 5-year strategy of the charity, due to its organisational strength and financial stability.
Treatment Services
The matter of treatment services takes a special place in the new 5-year strategy of GambleAware. The latter revealed that the organisation will be focused on providing a number of cost-effective treatment and support for people who suffer the negative effects of problem gambling behaviour.
GambleAware realises that building more efficient and qualitative treatment services requires a system overhaul. The organisation has also set a strategic objective to widen the range of services and activities supported. It also aims to keep the cash levels of funding that already exist, and increase the number of people who can access the initiatives included in its programme.
In addition, over the next five years, the charity will be focused on increasing user involvement in the activities related to treatment, harm prevention and minimisation. GambleAware describes minimising the harm related to problem gambling behaviour as its key strategic aim. What is more, the charity organisation explained that it plans to adopt the best aspects of commissioning, including service planning, needs assessment and outcomes reporting in order to be more successful in its role of a commissioner.
GambleAware once more emphasized on the fact that according to official data, the number of adult gamblers suffering from problem gambling behaviour in the UK is estimated to 250,000. A further 450,000 individuals are considered to be exposed to risk, but it is very likely that there are many more people who suffer gambling-related harm.
Harm-Minimisation and Education Objectives
When it comes to initiatives related with minimising the harm of problem gambling behaviour and providing education on the matter, GambleAware has planned a special awareness program. The organisation also plans to start a number of initiatives as part of its new 5-year strategy for dealing with problem gambling and its negative impact on local players.
Several strategic objectives have been included in the charity’s strategy for the upcoming years. First and foremost, GambleAware plans to direct the additional money available from fund-raising towards various activities aimed at minimising problem gambling harm, and especially on education on the matter.
In addition, it plans to fund various activities that are to be run primarily among the most vulnerable society groups, such as young people, unemployed people and homeless people. GambleAware also revealed its willingness to work in collaboration with a number of local health commissioning agencies and other organisations focused on minimising gambling-related harm.
Last, but not least, the charity has set supporting the establishment of independent evaluation in the UK gambling industry as one of its core objectives.
Research and Evaluation Objectives
GambleAware declared that it plans to be engaged with a fund-raising and evaluation initiative that would be aimed at exploring the nature not only of gambling, but also of the harm inflicted by problem gambling behaviour. This programme will be aimed at prevention of gambling-related harm and helping individuals who have already been affected by it.
The organisation plans to join forces with a variety of experts in order to better understand the mechanisms of developing and integrating an effective framework for reducing the negative effects gambling may have on individuals. It has also set an objective of making and publishing an annual research Commissioning Plan that is to be guided by the Research Programme of the Responsible Gambling Strategy Board (RGSB).
Promoting responsible gambling behaviour and its advantages is also among the key objectives of the charity over the upcoming years.
Fund-Raising Objectives
Establishing a stable financial model with balanced levels of income and expenditure of no less than £10 million on an annual basis has been among the primary goals of GambleAware when it comes to funding its harm-minimisation initiatives. In November 2016 the charity has called for all companies, entities and organisations that generate profit from commercial gambling in the UK to get more involved in its fund-raising efforts. The process also includes working in partnership with other non-profit organisations.
According to GambleAware, raising sufficient funds in order to the organisation to be able to meet its charitable goals is among the main objectives that must be set in its new 5-year strategy. It has identified raising a minimum of 0.1% of gross gambling yield from all UK-based and licensed gambling operators as a key objective for the upcoming years.
Of course, the fund-raising programmes of the organisation are planned to be voluntary in order for GambleAware to get the full support of the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and the Responsible Gambling Strategy Board (RGSB). Seeking new funding sources in order to secure new income opportunities is also included in the charity’s new 5-year strategy, as well as collaboration with various businesses that generate profit from gambling and gambling-related activities.
Kate Lampard Commentary
The Chairwoman of GambleAware’s Board of Trustees Ms. Kate Lampard came up with a statement related to the new 5-year strategy of the organisation, commenting on the charity’s ambitions and goals. According to Ms. Lampard, as a newcomer to the field she would be able to be more objective on the matters associated with the organisation’s work in terms of minimising gambling-related harm on UK players through its research, education and treatment initiatives.
She added that her appointment would provide her with the chance to assess the organisational structure and processes of GambleAware, and “review and revise” them, if necessary. Ms. Lampard praised the work of her predecessor Neil Goulden as well as the joint efforts of the charity’s staff, saying they had paved the path for the organisation’s new 5-year strategy.
The Chairwoman of the charity organisation’s Board of Trustees said that in spite of the fact that research data show troublesome rates of problem gambling across the territory of the UK, its percentage still remains relatively stable regardless of the rapid growth of the gambling industry. Ms. Lampard also cited some information related to the charity’s treatment services, which are currently locally accessible in a considerable part of the country, saying that recent research had shown these services achieved “measurable improvements”.
However, Ms. Lampard did not hide her concerns that levels of problem gambling among the population of the UK may be relatively low, but they actually conceal much more serious levels of problem behaviour of regular players or groups of people who are more susceptible. At the same time, the Chairwoman of GambleAware emphasized on the fact that the charity would have a pretty large gap to close, when it comes to reaching more players who suffer from problem gambling behaviour.
She also described the work that would have to be done as a “sizeable task” and promised that the organisation would work in collaboration with the British Government, as well as with various regulators, gambling operations, advertisers, etc. to minimise harmful effects of the problem.
And last, but not least, Ms. Lampard also commented on the organisational changes that were carried out by GambleAware, including the name change, new trustees appointment, as well as the ones regarding the committee structure and executive team and premises. She highlighted the fact that all changes would be aimed on making the charity’s work more efficient, and more specifically, on the practical application. The Chairwoman of the Board of Trustees explained that GambleAware would continue to stay away from being associated with political or campaigning organisations, but it will work in close collaboration with the UK Gambling Commission.
Ms. Lampard shared the organisation’s plans to keep its eyes focused on the targets set in its new 5-year strategy and said that the latter would be reviewed on an annual basis by taking into account any eventual changes that could have occurred in GambleAware’s priorities.
- Author
Olivia Cole
