GambleAware receives £5.4m in donations for Q1 and Q2

According to recent figures released by GambleAware, UK operators Bet365, GVC Holdings and William Hill have again topped the list of donations received by the industry charity, for the period between 1 April 2019 – 30 September 2019.

The charity had received £5.4m in pledges and donations for Q1 and Q2 of this year, however this does not include funds received through regulatory settlements.

GVC Holdings, the umbrella group for Ladbrokes and Coral, had pledged £1.46m to the charity while William Hill was recognised for a pledge of £1m. Bet365 was also commended for a donation of £868,000 during the period.

The list of contributors consists of operators and suppliers in the industry, in addition to donations in the form of unclaimed winnings, dormant accounts and other funds.

The funds are used by the charity to help the development of initiatives targeted towards the prevention and treatment of problem gambling across the industry.

Gambling operator The Rank Group was also among one of the highest donors to the charity through its Grosvenor Casino and Mecca Bingo brands, donating £284,450 to GambleAware.

Online bookmaker Betvictor was high on the list of donations, having pledged £160,000, closely followed by Betway with a £153,500 donation.

The charity currently asks those in the industry to make an annual donation of 0.1% of their annual Gross Gambling Yield (GGY) directly to GambleAware, requesting that those with an annual gross gambling revenue of less than £250,000 per annum to donate a minimum of £250.

During Q1 and Q2, the charity also received £1.29m in regulatory settlements from LeoVegas and Gamesys (Gibraltar) Limited. LeoVegas was penalised by the Gambling Commission for failings relating to misleading advertising and the handling of customers at the end of their self-exclusion period, and agreed to pay £600,000 to the charity.

Gamesys was reprimanded by the UKGC for failing to prevent gambling harm and breaching money laundering regulations, and agreed to make a payment of £690,000 in lieu of a financial penalty.