TalkBanStop receives funding for another year
The programme run by Gamcare, Gamban and Gamstop has been approved for additional funding from the Gambling Commission.
UK.- The Gambling Commission has granted additional funding from a regulatory settlement to TalkBanStop, allowing the programme to continue for another year until March 2023.
The programme, which is jointly run by the responsible gambling organisations Gamcare, Gamban and Gamstop was launched last year as a 12-month pilot.
TalkBanStop promotes the different tools backed by Britain’s National Gambling Treatment Service.
The #Talk element promotes GamCare’s 24/7 free phone service, which offers vulnerable players direct access to trained gambling harm advisers.
The #Ban part promotes Gamban’s blocking software, which users can download to stop access to online gambling websites. The #Stop element raises awareness of GAMSTOP’s self-exclusion programme.
The three organisations said they would continue to seek additional long-term funding for the programme. The latest funds will be used to provide free blocking software licences from Gamban and to increase the marketing of free tools and support.
Anna Hemmings, chief executive at GamCare, said: “TalkBanStop is a partnership that makes enormous sense for anyone harmed by online gambling, and an excellent example of organisations coming together whose services provide an important first step for people wanting to stop gambling.
“Since the partnership started there has been huge value in pooling our expertise together as organisations, creating an offering that people can use easily and freely to kickstart their recovery.”
GamCare highlighted TalkBanStop as one of its core achievements of 2021, noting that the programme was promoted to over five million people.
Hemmings said: “We have heard from people supported by TalkBanStop how the impact of our interventions, layered together, can amplify the impact for their recovery. That’s why it’s important there is no break in the free availability of all three layers of support.
“Going forward, we are looking to continue building on the successes of the past year and work towards our shared aspiration of reducing gambling-related harms.”
Earlier this week, Gamban announced that it had entered into an agreement with PayPal to offer US and UK users a method to block gambling payments via the payment platform. The companies said that PayPal was a common method of payment for gamblers both online and offline, be it via machines or sports betting.
