GambleAware, the independent charity organisation that combats gambling-related harm, has relaunched its Bet Regret responsible gambling campaign in time for the start of the 2021/2022 Premier League season. The organisation confirmed the campaign will return to radio stations, television, and digital advertising with an important message to fans of the popular team sport, namely to gamble in moderation and steer clear of placing impulsive or high-risk wagers.
The campaign targets mainly male football fans aged 18 to 34 years old. Males within this age group are considered the most vulnerable to falling prey to impulsive gambling behaviours, according to the organisation. GambleAware first debuted the campaign across stadiums and sports programming in Great Britain for the 2019/2020 Premier League season as part of its statewide incentive to heighten society’s awareness of compulsive gambling.
In 2020, the organisation refreshed the campaign through the inclusion of a new Tap Out slogan, recommending that sports bettors should “take a moment and think” before making their wagers. According to GambleAware, the Bet Regret incentive has delivered consistent results when it comes to raising public awareness of compulsive gambling behaviours. The organisation claims that the campaign delivers recognition levels that average more than 60% of its wider target audience.
GambleAware Reports Encouraging Results from the Campaign
The percentage increases to 75% among people from the highest-risk group. The incentive has notched up some decent success when it comes to encouraging punters to “tap out”. Around 38% of the Bet Regret target audience reported they have closed their sports betting apps before making a risky or impulsive wager. Approximately 17% of the punters confirm they regularly take advantage of tapping out as a means to cut down on their wagering activities.
The organisation’s Chief Executive Zoë Osmond says the British public must do all it can to encourage high-risk punters to stop and think carefully before posting a bet. According to Osmond, the greatest challenge such public campaigns face has to do with turning awareness and good intentions into actual actions. Osmond confirmed GambleAware has so far seen some encouraging results from its Bet Regret incentive as more punters have started to limit their betting with the help of the tapping out technique.
This year’s Bet Regret campaign will continue from August 14 to September 19. The incentive will appear on television and radio as well as in digital advertisements and “out-of-home” locations, including on and around sports grounds.
The campaign launched in the wake of the UK Government unveiling its intentions to introduce major changes to the local betting laws this year. According to the British gambling watchdog, the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), the country has approximately 400,000 problem gamblers while 2 more million Brits fall into the at-risk category.
- Author
Daniel Williams
