UK Gambling Harms Research Centre to assess efficacy of regulations 

Gambling Commission admits faults but backs credibility of Young People and Gambling Survey

France adds new obligations to sign off gambling ad campaigns 

GambleAware Community Fund to ‘end the stigma’ of gambling harm

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GambleAware’s newly published independent evaluation report has revealed a big improvement in gambling harm awareness within local communities.

Setting out achievements and learning from the first year of its Community Resilience Fund (CRF), the report was produced by Ipsos and New Philanthropy Capital and has been described as a new way of commissioning gambling harms awareness and support services.

It was designed to provide funding to organisations GambleAware had not previously funded, and to support learning about which methods may work for different groups.

Anna Hargrave, GambleAware Chief Commissioning and Strategy Officer, commented: “Gambling harm can affect anyone, but we know certain communities are at higher risk of experiencing harm. These are the people we wanted to reach with our Community Resilience Fund.”

The CRF provided grants to 21 community-based organisations in England, Wales, and Scotland to deliver gambling harm support and raise awareness.

The group det..

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UKGC: Gambling Harms Action Lab can help ‘identify new ways to reduce gambling harms’

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Tim Miller, Executive Director at the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), has stated that the Gambling Harms Action Lab will help collaborative efforts “to develop and improve existing practice and identify new ways to reduce gambling harms”.

A Money and Mental Health Policy Institute initiative, the Gambling Harms Action Lab is a three-year programme that will see the institute work with current account providers to improve gambling support for their customers. The initiative was launched at an event hosted by the institute on 5 November, with Miller speaking at the event.

The UKGC Director noted that the Action Lab will help to bring structure and focus to collaborative gambling harm support efforts between Money and Mental Health, the UKGC and the financial services industry.

Miller said: “I am delighted to be here for the launch of the Gambling Harms Action Lab. A few years ago Helen and I met in a coffee shop to talk about the potential positive role that the financial services ind..

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Australia takes key player protection steps with BetStop

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Australia’s Minister of Communications, Michelle Rowland, has appointed Richard Eccles to conduct the first statutory review of the country’s national self-exclusion register – BetStop.

Implemented in August 2023 by the Australian Communications and Media Authority, BetStop is being reviewed due to a requirement in the Interactive Gambling Act 2001, which states a review of the self-exclusion service must be conducted after a year of operations to make sure it is an effective measure to protect those vulnerable from gambling harm.

The Minister’s statement also said that the review will “add to the evidence base on the impacts of BetStop in Australia and voluntary exclusion programs to help inform future policy”.

BetStop covers all Australian licensed iGaming providers, stopping them from opening a new account for self‑excluded individuals, accepting bets from them, or sending them marketing material. Operators must also close existing betting accounts for registered individuals.

Si..

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Irish University advocates cutting gambling advertising

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New research published by Maynooth University and Ulster University has found that young people who live on both sides of the border in Ireland are exposed to extremely high levels of gambling marketing when viewing some national and international sporting events. The report makes six recommendations including cutting sports’ reliance on gambling advertising revenues and…

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Betnacional launches responsible gaming portal

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Betnacional, the sports betting and online gaming platform of Grupo NSX, launched its responsible gaming portal yesterday, November 6. The initiative aims to promote safe and mindful practices for Brazilian users. The new site explains how tools like deposit limits and self-assessment tests work, and it provides contacts for specialised support in dealing with gambling…

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Betway and PSL to boost safer gambling messaging in November

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Betway has announced a new deal with the Premier Soccer League (PSL) in South Africa that revolves around safer gambling.

Just in time for the country’s National Responsible Gambling Month, Betway – the title sponsor of the Betway Premiership since July – described the news as a great opportunity to double down on its efforts to teach players about responsible gambling.

Through the partnership, the operator and the PSL will increase their responsible gambling messaging throughout November and feature the ‘Bet Responsibly’ message throughout all marketing materials.

Laurence Michel, CEO of Betway, said: “As proud title sponsors of the Betway Premiership, we continue to act on our responsibility as a leading global sports betting brand, to educate our customers and the South African public about responsible gambling.

“Through our partnership with the PSL, Betway remains committed to its objective of encouraging responsible gambling across all its platforms.

“We therefore reiterate..

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UKGC survey finds 27% of young people engaged in gambling

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The latest report from the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has highlighted data around young peoples’ gambling activity, with it detailing that 73% of survey respondents did not engage with any gambling activities.

According to the report, it underlines that gambling remains relatively niche among youth, however, family exposure was cited as a particular concern with young people who observed family members gambling being more likely to engage themselves, with engagement rising from 8% in 2023 to 13% in 2024.

The report is the fourth edition providing insights into “young people’s exposure to and involvement in gambling”, as well as the “impact gambling can have on them”.

According to the report: “The study collected data from 3,869 pupils aged 11 to 17 years old across curriculum years 7 to 12 (S1 to S6 in Scotland), attending academies, maintained and independent schools in England, Scotland, and Wales using the Ipsos Young People Omnibus. Pupils completed an online self-report surv..

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GamCare: How banks can be proactive in fighting gambling harm

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GamCare is highlighting how banks in the UK can protect their customers from experiencing harm from gambling.

The news follows a recent workshop that the gambling support charity ran with experts from across the financial services sector.

GamCare’s Gambling Related Financial Harm project, created in 2019, has been described as a cross-sector initiative to share knowledge, develop resources, and enable firms to support customers who are affected by gambling harms. 

Raminta Diliso, Financial Harm Manager at GamCare, noted: “Last year, 72% of people who contacted the National Gambling Helpline disclosed financial difficulties. Banks are particularly well placed to detect harmful and unaffordable gambling through bank statements and transactional data, and provide more targeted support to their customers.

“We hope that more financial services firms will take a proactive approach and put the right steps in place to support customers who are experiencing financial difficulties related..

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New policy paper calls on banks to be the frontline of intervention on gambling harms

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British banks and financial institutions can help fill ‘gaps in support’ related to the treatment and intervention of those exposed to gambling-related harms.

This recommendation has been put forward in a policy paper by the Money and Mental Health Policy Institute (MMHPI), which explores the “role of financial services in tackling gambling-related harms.”

Established in 2016 by Martin Lewis (CBE), the founder of MoneySavingExpert.com, MMHPI seeks to provide new expertise on financial policy to improve public well-being.

As detailed, “The policy paper examines gambling harms in Britain and the role of current account providers in supporting the launch of a new programme of work.”

Banks have a unique visibility of threats

Of particular relevance to the treatment and intervention of gambling harms, banks and financial institutions have a ‘unique visibility’ into individuals’ spending habits, enabling them to identify potentially harmful gambling behaviours and intervene early to mi..

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