Industries join forces for sixth edition of Safer Gambling Week

The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) has again announced its support of this year’s Safer Gambling Week.

Building on the ‘record breaking success’ of last year’s event, the 2023 edition will see the industry coming together to further promote safer gambling messages, highlight the tools available to customers to stay in control and the support available to those who need it.

Taking place 13-19 November, organised by the BGC, BACTA, the Lotteries Council and the Bingo Association, Safer Gambling Week is now in its sixth year.

It will see what has been described as a blitz of safer gambling messages both online and in land-based venues, in the aim of sparking a nationwide conversation about betting responsibly.

Michael Dugher, Chief Executive of the BGC, explained: “Safer Gambling Week is now an established annual event in the industry’s calendar, doing vital work promoting the safer gambling tools only available in the regulated betting and gaming sector and signposting help to those that need it.

“All the recent data confirms what we already knew, that rates of problem gambling are consistently low, which is brilliant news, but Safer Gambling Week is an example of the regulated industry’s determination to keep raising standards.

According to a recent Gambling Commission report, the problem gambling rate in the past year to March 2023 was 0.3%.

“BGC members demonstrate their commitment to safer gambling every day through initiatives such as the whistle-to-whistle ban on TV betting commercials during live sport pre-watershed and offering a wide range of tools for use by punters,” Dugher added.

“It’s great to see that year-round commitment promoted and publicised so successfully in a single week – I know Safer Gambling Week 2023 will be another huge success.”

Analysis of last year’s successful campaign in October revealed around 200,000 accounts set deposit limits during this month, an increase of 12.5% compared to the same month the year prior.

Meanwhile, 61% of players setting deposit limits did so for the first time, and the number of players actively using reality checks – on-screen alerts tracking how long customers are playing – rose by a notable 300%.

Safer Gambling Week also exceeded previous social media records, generating nearly 30 million impressions on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, a 21% increase on 2021.

“The Bingo Association has been firmly behind Safer Gambling Week ever since the campaign started,” said Miles Baron, Chief Executive of the Bingo Association. 

“Whilst it is important to act responsibly all year round, I think bringing the whole gambling sector together for one week to raise awareness of safer gambling through Safer Gambling Week is definitely the right thing to do and is still a hugely positive initiative.”