Report finds steep rise in safer gambling awareness in the UK
GambleAware says the figures show the impact of its three-year marketing campaign to reduce gambling stigma.
UK.- The British gambling industry-backed charity GambleAware has published a new report showing a rise in safer gambling in the UK. The findings suggest the body’s three-year marketing campaign to reduce gambling stigma and encourage people to seek support for gambling harms led 90 per cent of the target audience to take action, including seeking advice and using digital tools for support.
With the slogan “Let’s Open Up About Gambling”, the public health campaign was the first of its kind designed to reduce the stigma that can stop people asking for help when experiencing gambling harm. The campaign had three phases between April 2023 and May 2025, and featured advertising, media campaigns, and partnerships with other organisations, with creative assets co-created with individuals with lived experience of gambling harms.
It employed a strategy of using the real stories and feelings of real people to ensure its messages truly resonated, and aimed to raise awareness of gambling harm, stigma and the support available for anyone who may be struggling. The campaign was independently evaluated by Ipsos, which also produced the new report.
Ipsos found that the campaign led to change, including increasing people’s awareness and understanding of gambling harms. Two in five of the target audience said they had a conversation about gambling as a result of the campaign. The campaign also increased uptake of support and digital tools on GambleAware’s website, such as its Service Finder tool and Self-Assessment tool.
GambleAware is to close by March, and any future public health campaigns will be carried out by the new prevention commissioner and funded via the new mandatory UK gambling levy. However, GambleAware hopes its findings will help inspire and inform future campaigns.
Recommendations include that future campaigns should be co-created with people who have lived experience, who can share their personal stories to build trust and connection and reduce stigma by showing how anyone can be affected.
GambleAware is also calling for more restrictions on gambling advertising including for health warnings to be put on all gambling advertising and for them to signpost to where people can get help.
Emma Munro-Faure, GambleAware’s Director of Marketing, said: “We’re proud that this campaign helped thousands of people to seek support for gambling harms. But stigma remains a major barrier, and with gambling companies spending £2 billion a year on advertising, we need stronger restrictions and clearer signposting to the free help and support available. ”
Matt Gainsford from Lucky Generals, the lead creative agency that worked to produce the campaign, said: “This was one of the most important briefs we’ve worked on. We’re incredibly proud of the impact the campaign has had, particularly when you look at it in the context of what the gambling industry spend on advertising.
“However, breaking down stigma is more than a three year job and we hope this is the beginning of a long-term, sustained effort to get millions more across Great Britain to open up about gambling.”
