Three of the biggest UK gambling safety organisations have launched a new campaign to get the public to use their services and the tools they offer to support safer gambling.
The groups are GamCare, GamBan and GAMSTOP and they are acting together with a campaign that brings together their individual services with a sharp catchphrase: #TalkBanStop.
Ads will go out this spring in the UK, to ask UK online gamblers to use these tools, all of which are free, to control the amounts of money they spend, and to reach out for help early and effectively fi they do feel like they have concerns about their gambling behaviour.
This is the first time that these three organisations have acted in concert to promote their services.
The three organisations are all said to each “provide a vital resource to ‘help at-risk gamblers kick-start their recovery journeys’.”
The ads will be split into three sections, with each service promoted in turn, and mimicking the potential path to recovery of someone experiencing issues with gambling.
First of all is #talk, for which GamCare step into the breach. They offer a 24/7 phone helpline, completely free, that gives players who feel like they may be having problems controlling their gambling behaviour access to trained advisers on gambling harms.
The next step might be a #ban and here we come to Gamban, who provide free blocking software. This can be downloaded to any device to block access to any and all licensed gambling websites in that UK.
The last step is #stop. This is the province of GameStop. This organisation runs a self-exclusion programme that allows players to become ex-players by banning themselves from any interaction with any gambling company. Using GameStop cannot just block websites but also all marketing emails and messages, and can stop a user from creating any new accounts at gambling sites.
The umbrella organisation that backs these initiatives is the National Gambling Treatment Service. They say that they consider these three steps great actions for gamblers to take if they feel like they are heading into problem territory.
A statement from the NGTS said: “We know that lockdown has been a troubling time for many people.”
“To help people struggling to control their gambling, and their loved ones, our new campaign TalkBanStop is encouraging people to make the most of free tools and support that are available this spring.”
The UK gambling industry has been taking major steps to promote and to improve its safe gambling services. The industry is awaiting the results of a review of current gambling legislation that is due to report later this year, with changes to be enacted in 2022.
Possible reforms may include limits on the amounts of money that can be bet on a single wager and bans on advertising. Already, the UK’s gambling regulator, The UK Gambling Commission has introduced new rules on slots that outlawed autoplay functions and other features that speed up gameplay or that were thought not to be signalling player losses clearly enough.
