Last week, the news in the gambling industry in the UK was yet again concerned with the safety of vulnerable individuals. Just as the 2021/2022 Premier League season came to be, the charity organisation GambleAware reintroduced its Bet Regret campaign. This movement is concerned with responsible gambling and will concentrate on reminding football fans to be responsible when betting on their favourite teams.
Meanwhile, the same organisation also made a donation of £4 million to the Research Hub, which is an establishment that is conducting research projects concerned with problem gambling in the UK.
Last week, there was also news about the UK’s gambling regulator, with MP Julian Knight accusing the Gambling Commission of obstructing the investigation of the watchdog’s role in the National Lottery regulation.
Bet Regret Campaign Relaunches as the New Season of the Premier League Begins
With the relaunch of the Bet Regret campaign, GambleAware is targeting vulnerable bettors, making sure that they are reminded to be responsible with their bets during the Premier League season. The project will push the responsible gambling agenda via different outlets such as TV channels, radio stations, and online advertisements.
As males between the ages of 18 and 34 are considered the most vulnerable group, the campaign is mainly concerned with providing responsible gambling tools and information to individuals in this age group. The first time GambleAware launched its Bet Regret campaign was during the 2019/2020 season of the Premier League. In 2020, the charity organisation also introduced the Tap Out slogan, prompting bettors not to rush and think before they initiate a bet.
According to GambleAware, ever since they launched the Bet Regret campaign, it had a significant impact on spreading more awareness about responsible gambling. The organisation reported that thanks to its responsible gambling campaign, it has reached over 60% of the audience it was targeting.
GambleAware Makes Generous Donation to Support Problem Gambling Research
To further improve gambling awareness in the UK, GambleAware invested in the Research Hub by donating £4 million to the establishment. The charity organisation decided to fund the institution as it is the first one in the UK to focus on research in the problem gambling field. The money donated by the organisation is supposed to help the hub to further improve the research of gambling-related harms in the UK and around the globe.
The sum of £4 million will be granted to the institute over the period of eight months, with GambleAware focusing on providing new research fields in the problem gambling sector. The Search Hub will also be able to choose the focus of its future research projects.
To further develop its work, the academic institution will also work on winning over more investors to help expand its research field and provide a better understanding of the gambling-related issues in the country. In addition to carrying out more research projects in the UK, the Research Hub will also concentrate on expanding its research scope to global markets.
UK Gambling Commission Criticized for Hindering National Lottery Enquiry
Last week, MP Julian Knight accused the UK gambling regulator of obstructing the investigation on lottery regulations. After the UK Gambling Commission (UKCG) claimed MP Knight’s enquiry is creating obstacles for the bidding competition for the new National Lottery license holder, he accused the UKCG of purposely hindering his investigation.
MP Knight, Chair of the Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport Committee (DCMS Committee), was warned about the risk of providing information for his enquiry in a letter from Andrew Rhodes, Chief Executive of the UKGC. Rhodes shared that it would be better if the regulatory body provides the evidence once the bidding process for the new National Lottery operator is complete.
The letter infuriated Knight, who accused the UKGC of obstructing the DCMS Committee’s lottery enquiry. He shared that unless the Commission cooperates with the enquiry he will request the regulatory body to explain its motives in front of the DCMS Committee. As the government is working on amending the 2005 Gambling Act, both the National Audit Office (NAO) and the Committee of Public Accounts deemed the UKGC unfit to regulate the gambling industry in the country.
Last month, it became clear that MP Knight and the DCMS Committee are launching an enquiry on the UKGC’s role in the regulation of the National Lottery. Needless to say, the refusal to provide evidence before the bidding process for the new lottery operator is finished could only further harm the reputation of the regulator.