SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
GambleAware has defended its position on the funding of problem gambling research education and treatment (RET) programmes, following last week’s publication of the House of Lords’ Select Committee ‘Time for Action’ report on UK gambling.
Citing 66 recommendations, the Lords report stated that GambleAware must correct its current ‘anomalous system’ of funding RET directives so that further charities are free to raise money from other sources without ‘imperilling their current funding’ structures.
In its statement, the House Lords underlined previous concerns by UK public health stakeholders, which stated that RET directives could be obstructed by a lack of independence on funding.
Responding to the Select Committee’s concerns, GambleAware CEO Marc Etches emphasised that all ‘treatment providers’ sanctioned by the charity were ‘entirely free to raise funds for whatever purpose they deem appropriate’.
GambleAware stated that it holds no influence on how RET partners handle their accounts and how they access funding beyond its central contributions.
In his statement, Etches detailed that GambleAware Trustees held only one caveat with regards to RET partner funding, stipulated against ‘duplicate funding’ – ‘treatment providers should not seek to get paid twice over for the same activity’.
Etches addressed concerns over potential structural problems with regards to new RET activities securing access to funding from different sources.
Clarifying his position, Etches underlined that GambleAware Trustees supported an accessible system that welcomed all worthwhile directives ‘regardless of whether funded by itself or by a third party’.
GambleAware actively supports innovation and collaboration between organisations, in which all funding contributions have been submitted to the House of Commons DCMS Select Committee.
