SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
The National Gambling Support Network (NGSN) has helped more than 110,000 people since it first launched in April 2023.
This was announced in a new report by GambleAware, an independent gambling harm charity that commissions the NGSN. Other key metrics include an average waiting time of two days for a first assessment appointment.
Another highlight is an increase in self-referrals of more than 50% in the second year since NGSN’s launch. This signaled that more individuals are accessing support directly from their local provider, evidencing the positive impact of a region-first approach.
This is something that many problem gambling treatment stakeholders have been vocally calling for since the Gambling Act review White Paper. The Health and Social Care Committee, for example, heard from public health professionals last month, all of whom argued a region-first approach is needed for gambling harm treatment.
Returning to GambleAware’s stats, the 110,000 figure is based on the number of individuals that have accessed services like the National Gambling Helpline, primary care, and additional residential aid.
Such services are usually categorised into three tiers of support, including assessment, brief interventions, extended brief interventions, treatment sessions, reviews and aftercare.
Since 2023, brief interventions in particular – a practice where short conversations are held to reduce risk of harm – have increased significantly by 93%, from 11,000 to 21,000 people in year two.
This has constituted a success for such short-term strategies, which are targeting gambling harm prevention through quick and early intervention.
Anna Hargrave, Deputy Chief Executive at GambleAware, commented: “The second year of the National Gambling Support Network presented an opportunity to take the learnings from year one and focus on how we can best support those affected by gambling harms.
“We’ve seen an increase in the number of people being supported and importantly, an increase in brief interventions and self-referrals, which means we can support people earlier and reduce the potential for further harm.
“The expertise within the Network is unrivalled and providers play a key role in helping people across the country, whether that be at the start of their journey, or supporting them at the end.
“We look forward to working with the future commissioners and the NGSN with the integration of the network into the future system to ensure providers can continue offering their crucial services.”
