SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
Gambling harms charity GambleAware has highlighted that there’s been a 12% increase in people using its support compared to the previous year.
A total of 11,000 users were treated through the GambleAware-commissioned National Gambling Support Network (NGSN) between 1 April 2023 and 31 March 2024. Around 7,500 of them received ‘structured’ treatment such as cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT), one-to-one support or residential care.
The NGSN report also outlined the number of people receiving early intervention for gambling harms for the first time. A total of 3,291 people used the early intervention service to only discuss their gambling habits, while 3,048 went on to receive further treatment after that.
Among those enlisted in the treatment, two-thirds (66%) said they’ve been put in debt due to gambling, 24% lost relationships, while 11% were left without a job pointing at gambling as a direct cause.
Treatment results showed that 95% of those who completed it showed signs of improvement. Among them, problem gambling rates fell from 87% to 10% in the period between the first appointment and the completion of the treatment.
Furthermore, 50% of people were given their first appointment within six days of making contact with the NGSN, while 75% were booked within twelve days.
Anna Hargrave, GambleAware Chief Commissioning and Strategy Officer, said: “In 2023, we launched new commissioning arrangements that expanded the NGSN’s scope to include prevention and early intervention, in addition to treatment. This means that our services are now working much more closely with local communities, reducing stigma and removing the barriers to accessing treatment.
“Not only have we reached more people, we have been able to identify and support people at a much earlier stage and that is part of the reason why we have seen an increase in people receiving treatment and support. Our new commissioning arrangements also included the addition of the Primary Care Gambling Service who work closely with our third sector providers enabling us to support more people across the NGSN.
“We look forward to the introduction of the statutory levy on gambling operators and the future gambling harms commissioning system, and we will continue to work in partnership with all those in the sector including the NHS.”
The GambleAware-commissioned NGSN is available to anyone who is experiencing harm from gambling themselves, or have seen it exhibited by close ones. It is available across England, Scotland, and Wales.
Professor Dame Clare Gerada, Director of the National Primary Care Gambling Service added: “We work closely with third-sector organisations and charities to care for patients and their affected others experiencing gambling-related harms. Working as part of the National Gambling Support Network (NGSN), we share our clinical expertise and skills in gambling-related harm to those network members and learn from each other.
“This allows us to enhance the care all of us can provide to patients and ensures those experiencing gambling harm receive the most appropriate care and support when needed.”
