UK heritage betting operator The Pools launches new charitable arm
The Pools Foundation will support a number of charities, starting with a £100,000 contribution to Teenage Cancer Trust.
UK.- The century-old British heritage betting brand The Pools has announced the creation of a new charitable arm. The Pools Foundation has begun its activity with a donation of £100,000 to the Teenage Cancer Trust.
The Pools says the new body will support several charities in 2026. It was launched with an event in Liverpool attended by the Pools Panel members and ex-England and Liverpool footballers Rachel Brown-Finnis and Ian Callaghan, who met with Teenage Cancer Trust representatives Emma Cross and Robert Sefton.
The operator, which was founded by the businessman, politician and telegraphist Sir John Moores in 1923, stressed its history of philanthropy, particularly in its support for grassroots football. That’s included work to improve the safety at football grounds via the Football Trust.
The Pools CEO James Arnold said: “The Pools has a long and rich tradition of philanthropy at its core, which is why we’re delighted to announce the launch of The Pools Foundation and our first charitable grant to Teenage Cancer Trust.
“As the only UK charity providing specialised nursing care and support for young people with cancer, the work Teenage Cancer Trust carries out, both in Liverpool and up and down the country, is truly inspiring – but also essential. Our donation will help more young people get the cancer care and support that they deserve and we look forward to supporting Teenage Cancer Trust through 2026.”
Vikki Calcutt, associate director of fundraising at Teenage Cancer Trust, said: “We are extremely grateful to The Pools Foundation for this wonderful support. Thanks to them, we can continue to help young people receive the sensitive, individual care and support they need at this unique and critical life stage.”
Formerly The Football Pools, the operator was the first gambling business in the UK to offer a multimillion-pound jackpot prize. It was rebranded as The Pools and celebrated its 100-year anniversary in 2023 and continued to restructure last year with a number of senior appointments.
It now has a range of online gambling products including lotto, sports betting, casino and free to play games. In March, The Pools agreed to pay a £375,000 penalty to the Gambling Commission due to failings in its social responsibility and anti-money laundering (AML) measures between September 2022 and August 2023.
