London, 21 April 2020: GambleAware has today published details of donations for the 12 months ending 31st March 2020. The total for voluntary donations is £10.05 million. This is the first year donations have exceeded the charity’s minimum target of £10 million.
The funding provided by the industry enables GambleAware to commission a coherent, coordinated 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. A summary of commissioning activity is available in a recently published briefing document.
In addition to this core funding, GambleAware has received £1.5 million in regulatory settlements. Also, GambleAware has published a list of companies who supported the Safer Gambling Campaign, Bet Regret, for its first year in 2019. The amount donated came to £3.8 million alongside media donations from broadcasters
Marc Etches, CEO of GambleAware, has said:
“For the tenth year in a row, we have seen an increase in donations, which means for the first time, we have been able to meet our minimum target of £10 million. Commissioning a coherent, coordinated and efficient system of prevention and treatment requires the strategic distribution of sufficient funding, guided by appropriate expertise underpinned by effective partnership working.
GambleAware is currently the primary commissioner using best-practice to ensure that evidence informed services are developed according to need within a robust and accountable system, and that funding is allocated efficiently and independently as one would expect of other health and social care commissioning and grant-making bodies.
Our mission is to keep people safe from gambling harm and these donations are vital to making sure we are able to deliver on that mission. Gambling is a serious public health issue in Great Britain, with two million adults experiencing some level of gambling harm. With these donations, we are able to continue funding the National Gambling Treatment Service to provide treatment for those who need it, while working in partnership with the NHS and Citizens Advice amongst others.”
