For the first time, the land-based casino operators in the UK have reached an agreement to contribute 0.1% of their yearly Gross Gaming Yield (GGY) to GambleAware, the leading British charity aimed at dealing with problem gambling.
In other words, the UK retail casino industry would join forces to provide the charity promoting responsible gambling with a portion of its revenues to fund various initiatives related to education, prevention and treatment of gambling addictions.
As mentioned above, the trade association of the casino operators – the National Casino Forum (NCF) – has revealed that a 0.1% portion of its members’ Gross Gambling Yield is to be redirected to the charity. Most land-based casino companies have already engaged themselves with making such payments, but the latest announcement of the NCF makes the commitment even stronger.
Reportedly, the National Casino Forum’s position led to a decision GambleAware is to receive an additional amount of £50,000 every year. Currently, brick-and-mortar casino operators already donate about £850,000 on an annual basis to the charity.
The Chief Executive Officer of the NCF, Tracy Damestani, called the newest commitment of local casino operators to GambleAware “a historic one”. Ms. Damestani further explained that the promised funding comes as part of the introduction of a new payment system that is expected to be more transparent and efficient in raising funds for research, edication and treatment of gambling addiction.
What is more, the UK Gambling Commission, which is the major gambling regulatory body in the country, has its license conditions requiring from gambling operators to make yearly financial contribution to charity organisations which are engaged with the prevention and treatment of problem gambling and gambling-related harm.
New Rules Guarantee Regular Annual Funding to GambleAware
GambleAware has previously complained that some casino companies in the country are not keeping their promise to donate a chunk of their income to fund problem gambling treatment. As a result, the organisation was about £2 million short of its target estimated to £10 million, so it called for further actions to be taken in terms of such operators in order for the latter to be forced by law to make such payments.
Now, a new and more transparent mechanism is to be used in order for casino operators to show their commitment to make voluntary yearly payments aimed to be used for dealing with problem gambling and its possible negative consequences.
As revealed by GambleAware at the end of October, casino operators failed to reach the voluntary annual funding target for the sector. The donations are used by the charitable organisation to fund various education, prevention and treatment services related to compulsive gambling in the UK.
Now, the National Casino Forum is changing its terms of membership in order to make clear to all land-based casino operations that they will be expected to donate 0.1% of their Gross Gambling Yield – the amount of money collected in wagers minus the payouts – so that the total financial commitment of the UK casino sector to the NCF is met. The new system is to see such payments will be documented separately from donations made by operators to other charities.
GambleAware was entitled with the responsibility of raising funds to make sure that the National Responsible Gambling Strategy, which was agreed between Government’s officials, the UK Gambling Commission and the local gambling gambling industry in 2012, is delivered. Currently, all sectors of the local gambling market fund the Strategy.
The Responsible Gambling Strategy Board, which is an advisor of both the UK Government and the country’s gambling regulatory body, set an annual target of £10 million for the 2016/2017, but GambleAware previously reported that it did not manage to meet the target.
- Author
Daniel Williams
