Over the past 12 months, there were a total of 52,370 calls and online chats made to the National Gambling Helpline, marking a 24% increase compared to the previous year.
August 2023 saw the highest level of activity on record, while contact during December was 39% higher than in 2022, making it the busiest Christmas period since the helpline’s launch.
In February 2023, a new WhatsApp channel for the helpline was introduced, resulting in an additional 6,000 interactions via WhatsApp throughout the year.
GamCare also reported that 7,000 Gamban blocking software licenses were registered for free through the TalkBanStop partnership, which aims to provide tools and support to help individuals control their online gambling.
Furthermore, in 117 of the calls and chats, people mentioned that their gambling was related to financial pressure stemming from the cost-of-living crisis.
Samantha Turnton, the head of remote support services at GamCare, expressed that the increase in people reaching out for help in 2023 is a significant milestone, emphasizing the importance of early intervention to prevent gambling harm from escalating.
Anna Hargrave, the chief commissioning and strategy officer of GambleAware, stressed the need for prioritizing prevention and early intervention support services within the new system once the statutory gambling levy is introduced.
In addition to the record number of helpline contacts, Gamstop, the national self-exclusion scheme, reported a 9.5% increase in new registrations for 2023, reaching a record high of 92,000 registrations.
However, despite these positive developments, illegal gambling operators targeting self-excluded players on Gamstop have been identified, accounting for 4% of the UK’s online gambling market share and gross gaming revenue. Moreover, thousands of affiliates have been found promoting these illicit sites, and millions of Google search results related to bypassing self-exclusion strategies were detected.
Ismail Vali, the founder and CEO of Yield Sec, expressed concern over these illicit gambling options and stressed the need for immediate intervention to protect vulnerable problem gamblers.
