GambleAware has published details of its donations for the 12 months ending 31 March 2021, with the charity receiving a total of £19m ($26m) in voluntary donations.

The total is a 47% rise from the £10.05m received in the 2019/20 financial year, and is largely due to the contributions of the “Big Four” gambling companies. Entain, William Hill, Flutter and Bet365 have committed to donating £100m to GambleAware over the next five years, with their combined donations this year totalling £15.4m.

GambleAware meanwhile received £8.8m in regulatory settlements, having also received £3.9m in donations from companies who supported the Safer Gambling Campaign, Bet Regret.

“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,” said GambleAware CEO Zoë Osmond.

“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.”