Gibraltar Betting and Gaming Association forms new charity

The industry group has launched the Gibraltar Gambling Care Foundation.

Gibraltar.- The Gibraltar Betting and Gaming Association (GBGA) has launched a charity that aims to reduce gambling harm and protect at-risk consumers.

The Gibraltar Gambling Care Foundation (GGCF) will be funded by the GBGA but will work independently with consumers, gaming industry leaders and government regulators, the association said.

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The initiative has the support of councillors Stephen Reyes, who will chair the foundation, Selvan Soobiah and corporate councillor Belvedere Trustees Limited.

It will aim to reduce gambling disorders in the Gibraltar market. It will initially fund research on the impact of problem gambling and ways to mitigate it at the University of Gibraltar’s new Centre of Excellence in Responsible Gaming (CERG)

The association has raised more £2.5m from gambling companies to fund the launch of the CERG.

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The new charity will also investigate the prevalence of gambling addiction and practical solutions for operators to implement to minimise harm.

It will also look into the possibilities of standardised identification tools, criteria for monitoring and measuring problem gambling, and the creation and management of a database of igaming industry information to assist further research.

Reyes said:  “Gibraltar is known globally as a premier jurisdiction in the online gambling area, so it is great that as an industry the operators have come together and set up and formed this charitable foundation to invest in academic research to inform effective initiatives to encourage responsible gambling and prevent gambling harm.”

GBGA chairman Nigel Birrell said: “This is a pivotal step change for all Gibraltar-licensed operators and the jurisdiction as a whole.

“The GBGA, via the GGCF, will be supporting the creation of an industry leading research programme aimed at exploring solutions to minimise gambling related harm and the creation of open-source databases for academic studies.”