SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) has revealed that according to new figures, the number of people using safer gambling tools has ‘rocketed’.
Lauding Safer Gambling Week, an analysis of last year’s campaign in October revealed that around 200,000 accounts set deposit limits during the month.
This is an increase of 12.5% compared to the same month the previous year. Meanwhile, 61% of players setting deposit limits did so for the first time.
Notably, the number of players actively using reality checks, (on-screen alerts tracking how long customers are playing), rose by 300%.
BGC Chief Executive, Michael Dugher, said: “These new figures show Safer Gambling Week has made a huge impact and continues to be an increasingly vital platform to successfully encourage the use of safer gambling tools in the regulated industry.
“Millions of customers now use safer gambling tools including deposit limits and time outs. This is a pillar of the regulated betting and gaming industry and is in marked contrast to the unsafe, unregulated and growing online gambling black market, which has none of the safeguards strictly employed by BGC members.
“Safer Gambling Week is further evidence of the regulated industry’s determination to keep raising standards. When we launched Safer Gambling Week last year, there was the usual disparagement from the usual suspects in the anti-gambling lobby who want to see less gambling not safer gambling.”
Safer Gambling Week also smashed previous social media records, generating nearly 30 million impressions on social platforms Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, a 21% increase on 2021.
These latest figures come after the Gambling Commission found problem gambling rates among UK adults have fallen to 0.2%, down from 0.3% the year previous.
Dugher added: “But millions of people do enjoy a bet – whether that’s on the lottery, sports, bingo or gaming – and even though problem gambling is very low at 0.2% according to the latest figures, it’s important our customers continue to gamble safely and responsibly. This is where technology and the regulated industry can help.
“We look forward to Safer Gambling Week 2023 with renewed enthusiasm following last year’s outstanding success.”
Former football manager Harry Redknapp and former Celtic striker John Hartson were amongst some of the sporting figures supporting the campaign.
Moreso, the group highlighted that the regulated betting and gaming industry contributes £7.1bn to the economy, generates £4.2bn in tax, and supports 110,000 jobs.
Meanwhile the unsafe, unregulated gambling black market makes no contribution to the economy, jobs or sports while paying zero tax, with the numbers using these sites having doubled in recent years.
With the Government preparing to publish reforms to betting in the UK, BGC has stated that it ‘strongly supports’ the Gambling Review.
