GambleAware has announced that it received £49.5 million ($62.9m) in voluntary donations from the gambling industry during the 2023/24 financial year, running from 1 April 2023 - 31 March 2024.
The largest four gambling operators in Great Britain contributed £46.6m of this total, marking an increase of £3.1m from the previous year. This marks the final year of a four-year commitment made by these operators to gradually increase their donations to 1% of their gross gambling yield (GGY).
The charity operates the National Gambling Support Network (NGSN), providing free, confidential treatment services across Great Britain and the National Gambling Helpline, which handles around 52,000 calls and online chats annually.
GambleAware’s CEO, Zoë Osmond, commented: “For many years we have been calling for the introduction of a statutory levy on the gambling industry and we are pleased the Government has committed to delivering this as part of the Gambling White Paper. However, during the transition period it is vital that steps continue to be taken to ensure there is no disruption to existing services and provisions in the wider system as they adapt to the new levy funding model.”
The transition to this new funding model is currently being discussed with the Gambling Commission and the Department for Culture Media and Sport.
In addition to the voluntary donations, the Gambling Commission allocated £33.5m of regulatory settlement funds to GambleAware in the last financial year. These funds are managed as a restricted resource to support the stabilisation of the gambling harm prevention, support and treatment system during the transition from voluntary donations to a statutory levy.
GambleAware has mentioned the need for minimal disruption during the transition period to maintain the continuity of its services. The charity has also been involved in advocacy for improved health warnings on gambling advertisements, following a survey that indicated the current messages are not as effective as they could be.
In May 2024, GambleAware responded to a complaint about its independence and the quality of its services. The charity stated that it has robust governance and commissioning practices in place to ensure that the gambling industry has no influence over its operations. The Charity Commission is currently reviewing the complaint.
