GambleAware opens tender for residential rehab programme
The UK charity has opened a tender to fund a £1m pilot project to offer residential rehabilitation for those who experience gambling harm.
UK.- The charity GambleAware has published an invitation to tender to fund a £1m pilot of a residential gambling harm rehabilitation programme
It has invited applications to fund residential rehabilitation for people who have suffered from gambling issues compounded with factors such as alcohol or substance misuse over three years.
The project aims to fill gaps in existing treatment programmes, as identified by GambleAware’s annual statistics and gap analysis. It will particularly look to address a lack of attention given to mental health problems.
GambleAware said potential tenders must show experience in the treatment of gambling harm and health issues that may coexist. It will hold engagement events for prospective bidders on June 18. The closing date for submissions is July 16.
GambleAware Bet Regret campaign sees more players reduce activity
Meanwhile, GambleAware has announced that its Bet Regret “tap out” responsible gambling campaign has led to more players reducing their betting.
The two-year campaign, which targeted men aged 16-44, sought to raise awareness of problem gambling.
GambleAware has reported that 53 per cent of those with higher risk profiles demonstrated some intention to reduce betting, while 17 per cent actively “tapped out” of betting apps before placing a wager, as recommended by GambleAware.
Some 76 per cent of the audience reported that they believed they were aware of the risks of gambling more than they can afford, while the same amount believed they knew how to cut down on gambling if they wanted to.
The Bet Regret campaign was originally intended to last two years. It was paused due to the suspension of live sport during the first Covid-19 lockdown in the UK and relaunched when football resumed.
The campaign received criticism from the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Gambling-Related Harm (APPG). The group’s chair Carolyn Harris said customers should be encouraged to stop betting completely rather than “tap out”.
However, GambleAware explained that the campaign was aimed at frequent bettors but not those suffering from gambling harm.
It said in the report: “In the absence of an ‘Are You Sure’ button on betting apps, there is a continued need to promote behavioural nudges of this kind.
“We encourage gambling operators and regulators to make their own interventions to help reduce the risks that can come from impulsive betting behaviours.”
GambleAware has called for the introduction of a mandatory levy on gambling operators to provide stable, predictable funding for problem gambling support and treatment.
In its submission to the UK Department of Digital Culture, Media and Sport’s (DCMS) review of current gambling legislation, it said a mandatory levy was needed to fund research, education and treatment for gambling-related harm.
