SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
GambleAware has confirmed the appointment of former England goalkeeper David James as its new ‘Safer Gambling Ambassador’, who will support the UK charity’s ongoing ‘Bet Regret’ campaigns.
David James’ appointment sees GambleAware strengthen its existing partnership with the Football Supporters’ Association (FSA), a body which campaigns on a range of issues for the interest of football fans across England and Wales.
This football season, GambleAware and the FSA collaborate on raising awareness of problem-gambling behaviours, launching a series of educational campaigns targeting UK football fans.
As Safer Gambling Ambassador, David James fronts GambleAware’s new ‘International Break’ series, encouraging fans to ‘beat the boredom’ of impulsive betting.
Targeting a key demographic, GambleAware points to a survey conducted by the FSA earlier this season revealed that only 10% of football fans felt their club was doing enough to encourage safer gambling.
David James commented on initiatives: “Supporting Safer Gambling within football is something that is important to me. There is so much exposure to betting and it is increasingly easy to bet impulsively, so I want to encourage football fans to think twice about how they are betting. Helping fans beat the break this October is only the start and I’m looking forward to working with GambleAware and the Football Supporters’ Association this season to raise awareness of Bet Regret.”
