GambleAware has launched its new ‘personalised app’ to help individuals reduce or quit gambling, as the charity looks to better address rising levels of gambling harm among vulnerable groups in particular young adults.
The GambleAware Support Tool, is available for free and provides personalised, anonymous support designed by the Charity’s feedback from Lived-in Experience Council of problem gambling.
The latest 2024 Treatment and Support Survey reveals that 18–24-year-old gamblers are twice as likely to want to quit or reduce their gambling compared to the national average (29% vs. 15%). The new app has been designed in response to this trend, as digital access to gambling continues to grow across the UK.
The app offers a suite of evidence-based tools tailored to individuals’ needs. Users can:
- Set personal goals for reducing or stopping gambling.
- Track gambling behaviour, including frequency and spending.
- Access podcasts, educational materials, and self-help resources.
- Receive guidance aligned with the Lower Risk Gambling Guidelines (LRGG), an internationally recognised framework.
- Get signposted to formal support services if needed, including the GambleAware service finder.
The app is the only platform in UK healthcare to implement the internationally recognised Lower Risk Gambling Guidelines (LRGG), which recommend that individuals gamble no more than 1% of their monthly income, limit gambling to no more than four days per month, and avoid participating in more than two types of gambling activities within the same period.
Alexia Clifford, Chief Communications Officer at GambleAware, said: “Whether individuals want to reduce, manage or stay gamble-free, the GambleAware Support Tool is here every step of your journey.
“The digital age means we essentially have a casino in our pocket, and we know increased accessibility leads to increased participation and therefore increased risk of harm. The GambleAware Support Tool app is designed to give people a timely insight into their gambling, with the aim of supporting their journey to reducing or quitting their activity.”
The app is designed to meet the needs of those reluctant to seek formal treatment. According to GambleAware’s 2023 Audience Segmentation report, up to 4.5 million people in Great Britain want to reduce or stop gambling — yet 93% prefer to do so without engaging treatment services.
Early usage data reveals that 48% of 18–24-year-old app users cite saving money as their primary motivation, while 27% are driven by a desire to feel happier.
Catherine Adams, a member of the GambleAware Lived Experience Council, highlighted the practical value of the tool:
“I would be gambling on the computer from six in the evening until six in the morning and I just was not sleeping.
“It’s positive being able to monitor your progress yourself and to see how well you’re doing in reducing or quitting your gambling if you’re goal orientated. To see ‘I’ve done this many days now’ or ‘I’ve saved this much money’, I think it really does give a variety of choice in your recovery.”
