Gambling harm prevention charity GambleAware has announced it received £4.5m ($6.1m) in voluntary donations from the gambling industry in the first three quarters of its financial year.
The amount, which covers April to December 2020 and excludes regulatory settlements and additional donations, is based on the charity’s request that those who profit from gambling in Great Britain donate at least 0.1% of their annual gross gaming yield (GGY) directly to GambleAware.
Looking at the biggest contributors, Flutter Entertainment led the way with a donation of £874,000 for the period with Bet365 parting with £763,000. William Hill has so far donated £540,000 but has pledged a total of £1.04m for the 2020/21 financial year.
Gamesys was next on the list with a donation of £450,000 with Betway giving the charity £134,000 and 888 Holdings £50,000. Petfre (Gibraltar Limited) made three separate donations totalling more than £102,000, with Casumo donating twice with funds of more than £43,000.
Other stand-out contributions include Videoslots who made a £30,000 donation, while Praesepe Holdings has pledged to donate £85,500 with Greentube pledging £61,000 for the year.
GambleAware said it also received £8.8m in regulatory settlements during the period as agreed by the industry and the Gambling Commission, allowing the charity to invest in a range of research, education and treatment projects.
This was made up of £3m from William Hill, regarding regulatory failings from its Mr Green subsidiary last February, and £5.8m from Betway, who were fined £11.6m by the Gambling Commission in March due to a series of VIP failings.
