A new survey found that more than 25% of football fans in the UK are concerned about the amount of money they might lose while placing wagers on football matches during the World Cup.
The research that was carried out on behalf of the country’s largest gambling charity GambleAware found that six in 10 people said they believed there are too many gambling adverts released during international tournaments. GambleAware, which is currently the biggest organisation aimed at helping problem gamblers in the UK, reported that 43% of football lovers plan to place bets during the 2022 World Cup. Among them, 39% admitted that they might be forced to gamble more than initially planned due to financial pressure.
A new campaign aimed at helping football fans who gamble to avoid what they described as “bet regret” in the weeks to come has been rolled out by GambleAware. On the other hand, gambling advertising on TV and social media channels has been enhanced.
The campaign was supported by a number of former players and members of the Football Supporters Association (FSA), such as Pewter Shilton, Lee Hendrie, and Shaun Wright-Phillips. It has been encouraging punters to manage their gambling behaviour by getting rid of the sportsbook applications, or at least, setting spending limits. Mr Shilton, who has dealt with problem gambling behaviour for 45 years himself, has backed the campaign, revealing that his addiction took a massive toll not only financially but also on his mental health.
New GambleAware Campaign Aims at Helping Football Lovers Avoid So-Called Bet Regret
The latest survey that was carried out by Opinium among 2,000 football fans in the UK on behalf of GambleAware showed that over half of the people who took part in the research (56%) said that it is easy to lose more money than initially expected. The results suggested that 28% of football lovers said they were already dealing with anxiety about their potential losses in wagers during the World Cup, which is expected to commence in Qatar on November 20th.
As for the abovementioned “bet regret”, GambleAware defined the term as the universal “sinking feeling” usually felt by people who make impulsive bets, often at times when they are bored, drunk, or simply chasing losses.
The CEO of the largest gambling charity organisation in the UK, Zoe Osmond, warned that the constantly rising cost of living, especially as Christmas approaches, could result in the “perfect storm” for people who find it hard to control their gambling because people are tempted to place larger bets in the hope of generating larger and quicker winnings. According to her, the 2022 World Cup in Qatar should be a time when football lovers enjoy themselves, but with the popularity of sports betting and the constantly rising amount of betting ads, it could be easy for gamblers to get carried away with betting.
The campaign aimed at bolstering people’s awareness of practical actions that could be taken by people to avoid gambling-related harm has been welcomed by the country’s Gambling Minister Paul Scully. He further noted that the Government is undertaking a comprehensive review of the existing gambling laws in order to make sure they are suitable to serve their purpose in the digital age. British lawmakers will also take into account the evidence on gambling marketing and advertising.
- Author
Olivia Cole
