SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
Seeking to bring transparency to its current ‘voluntary funding arrangement’, industry charity GambleAware has published details of donations and pledges received by industry stakeholders.
Updating the market, GambleAware details that the ‘total amount of money pledged and received during Q1 2018 (April-June) amounted to £2.8 million’.
At present, industry incumbents that support GambleAware initiatives are required to contribute annually a minimum of 0.1% of their annual Gross Gambling Yield (GGY) directly to the charity.
Incumbents with an annual gross gambling revenue of less than £250,000 per annum are asked to donate a minimum of £250.
The Responsible Gambling Strategy Board (RGSB), estimates that GambleAware requires ‘a minimum of £10 million’ in voluntary funds to deliver its 2018/19 objectives.
Nevertheless, in its July update, GambleAware governance outlined that the charity would be significantly increasing its annual spending, outlining costs of £32 million over a two-year period.
Combatting gambling-related harms, the charity seeks to accelerate the development of its research, education and treatment programs and resources across the UK.
In its directive, GambleAware governance is set to concentrate funding within research fields (£10m), expanding educational programs (£6m), and improving access to UK-wide treatment facilities (£14m).
The UK betting sector awaits the release of GambleAware’s upcoming ‘Safer Gambling Campaign’, announced last June in partnership with new creative agency M&C Saatchi.
Aiding its campaign initiatives, GambleAware has developed a ‘marketing advisory panel’, which will independently evaluate the progress and impact of the charity’s UK marketing initiatives and strategy.
