GambleAware encouraged by results of treatment intiatives

GambleAware, one of the leading charities in the United Kingdom dedicated to treating and preventing gambling-related harm, has posted new results about the effectiveness of its treatment efforts deployed through the National Gambling Treatment Service (NTGT).

The latest data shared by the company reveals that these have been impactful with nine out of 10 people or 88% of all people receiving treatment through the NTGT actually improving their status. The conclusions are based on a data set that collates data from 2022 and 2023 and helps shape the dialogue around treatment services and how effective they can be.

GambleAware has acknowledged that the National Gambling Helpline, operated by GamCare, has seen a sustained influx of callers and users, with 7,000 people seeking support. The response rate has been fairly quick, with 50% of all people getting an answer within five days of seeking help.

Many people are also now actively seeking preventative support, with such queries increasing further in 2023, up by 46% compared to 2022. GambleAware is confident that if the government goes ahead with a planned statutory levy on gambling operators, the organization would be able to support third-sector services financially and ensure that people who need help continue to receive it.

GambleAware CEO Zoë Osmond has welcomed the latest data sets and said that the expected statutory levy on gambling operations is going to be an incredible opportunity for prevention, treatment, and research into gambling harms. Additional funding will most certainly help boost the long-term impact of efforts that are committed to making gambling safer.

"There is an urgent need for reassurance from the Government that these essential services will be protected during and following the transition," Osmond noted.

A concerned third-sector ecosystem is paramount to making gambling safer, says Professor Dame Clare Gerada, who runs the NHS Primary Care Gambling Service, which is itself part of the National Gambling Support Network.

"Gambling harms are a societal, public health issue – not just a medical one," Professor Gerada added. To ensure that consumers receive adequate help, services need to stay free and confidential, which is possible through additional funding.

The UKGC has also recently revised its methodology for calculating gambling harm. The regulator suggests that its revised method should be taken with a grain of salt, even though it shows a "higher" level of problem gambling in the UK. The watchdog has warned that this inconsistency is simply because the new methodology uses a different approach that is not really comparable with old data sets.

In the meantime, GambleAware is confident that some of the changes being passed in the country will embolden the third-sector ecosystem and make it so that people who suffer or struggle with gambling are assisted adequately.

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