The new advertising content, which aims to raise awareness for the charity’s treatment service, will run on radio, digital platforms and in the regional press throughout January.

The awareness campaign titled ‘Start to regain control’, focuses on how gambling can takeover summed up by the line “when you’re there, but not there”, and draws on people with gambling problems that feel disconnected from friends and family. The advert promotes the National Gambling Treatment Service as one to help people with gambling issues.

GambleAware commissioned research to examine the impact of COVID-19 lockdowns last year, found those with a higher Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI) score were most likely to increase gambling between March and May 2020.

The charity said that such scores were also at risk of increasing as appointments with mental health professionals have been reduced during the pandemic, which it added “highlights the continuing need to raise awareness of the National Gambling Treatment Service.”

GambleAware Communications and Engagement director Zoe Osmond said: “So far the campaign has proven to be successful in encouraging people to contact the National Gambling Treatment Service for support, but there is still more to be done.

“During the pandemic and this extremely difficult time for people, it is vital that we continue to ensure those in need of help understand what services are available to them, which is why we are taking this targeted approach to help reach those high risk areas across Great Britain.”