Educational charity, The Young Gamers and Gamblers Education Trust (YGAM), has collaborated with Gamstop, a national online self-exclusion scheme, and RecoverMe, a mobile health application designed for people suffering from an addiction to gambling. Together, their touring partnership is titled “The Gambling Support University Tour.”
As a working group, the organisations will visit campuses throughout the UK, speaking to students and university staff about gambling-related harms, as well as outlining the training and support services available to anyone in need. Displaying a visible presence on campus, the tour will encourage engagement with students and the distribution of information leaflets.
For any university staff or student union officers interested, YGAM will be providing free access to its harm prevention training. This should upskill relevant individuals to be able to confidently identify signs of gambling-related harms, while giving them the knowledge necessary to signpost students who may be struggling.
A recent survey of 2,000 students which was commissioned by YGAM and Gamstop showed that 80% of students have gambled and 41% of them felt gambling had had a negative impact on their university experience. This includes missing deadlines, lectures and social activities. Almost one in five students commented that they had used their student loans to gamble.
Katie Reynolds-Jones, Head of Marketing and Communications at Gamstop, said: “Over 58% of those signing up to Gamstop are between the ages of 18 and 34; it is therefore important that we understand students and ensure we are reaching them effectively. Students need to be aware of the free tools and support available to them, and we are delighted to be taking part in this important initiative.”
The tour begins this month with visits to campuses in Birmingham, Exeter and Plymouth.
