GambleAware has today published details of donations for the 12 months ending 31 March 2021. The total for voluntary donations is £19 million. The figure equates to nearly £9 million more than the donations received in the 2019/20 financial year which totalled £10.05 million. This rise is due in part to a commitment by the top four gambling companies (Entain, William Hill, Flutter and Bet365) to donate £100 million to GambleAware over the next five years. The combined donations received this year by the top four was £15.4 million.
This increased funding provided by the industry enables GambleAware to continue to improve the services the charity funds. All monies will go towards commissioning a coherent, co-ordinated and efficient system of prevention and treatment to keep people across England, Scotland and Wales safe from gambling harms.
Working in partnership with expert organisations and agencies, including the NHS, these donations fund a range of services, including the National Gambling Treatment Service, which includes the National Gambling Helpline.
In addition to this core funding, GambleAware received £8.8 million in regulatory settlements.
GambleAware has also published a list of companies who supported the Safer Gambling Campaign, Bet Regret, for its second year in 2020. The amount donated came to £3.9 million, alongside media donations from broadcasters.
Zoë Osmond, CEO of GambleAware has said:
“This growth in donations is the largest we’ve seen year on year driven largely as a result of the commitment by the “Big Four”. This will enable us to continue and expand our work to ensure evidence-informed services are developed according to need within a robust and accountable system. We will shortly be releasing our commissioning strategy which will detail how we plan to use this increased funding to help keep people safe from gambling harms.
It is estimated that two million adults in Great Britain are experiencing some level of gambling harm, and research published this year indicated that more than one in three people with a gambling disorder have not accessed any support or treatment. With these donations, we will continue to fund and improve the National Gambling Treatment Service to provide support for those who need it, while working in partnership with many other organisations to increase awareness of support available.”
To view the full press release click here.
To view the full donation list click here.
