In a bid to support and bring more attention to help for gambling addicts, land-based casinos within the United Kingdom have united together. The industry has chosen to donate 0.1% of the Gross Gambling Yield of its members. The charity, known as GambleAware, is available for those gamblers who feel that they have a problem with their gaming habits.
The announcement of the 0.1% donation was made by the National Casino Forum, a.k.a the NCF. As it stands, most land-based casinos had already said that they would make the donation to the charity. However, the follow up from the NCF makes it much more of a stable commitment.
This comes following a complaint by GambleAware, stating that several gambling operators were not honouring the company’s problem gambling campaign. Because of that lack of support, the charity was £2 million off of the £10 million that it wanted to make. At current, land-based casinos donate about £850,000 every year to the charity. Thanks to the addition from the NCF, there will be an additional £50,000 given on an annual basis.
BeGambleAware
A Benchmark Has Been Set
With the statement and donation announcement from the NCF, the company is looking to increase the awareness and commitment from others within the industry when it comes to problem gambling. The GambleAware company already assists people with gambling problems, but at the same time, it does a lot more. For example, it provides funding for educational programs, research into various gambling assistance areas, and also offers advice on player safety.
Now, if a casino wishes to become a member of the trade body, the 0.1% donation is one of the conditions that it must meet. And it must do this willingly. This turnaround in awareness of problem gamblers comes following the statements made by the UK Gambling Commission. An earlier review of the UK casino gaming industry found several flaws in the way it is operating. The regulatory body made bold statements that casino operators are not doing enough to ensure responsible gambling takes place. Therefore, many trade bodies and casino operators are looking to work proactively to correct this situation. The NCF also aims to make sure that its members are donating the required 0.1% target every year.
GambleAware Reacts
The main focus of the GambleAware charity for several years now, has been for casinos and the industry to make sure funding takes place. It’s all about working together in order to combat such problems within the industry. The company is funded by the gambling industry in general, and the £10 million target was set on an annual basis. This was set by the Responsible Gambling Strategy Board. This board then goes on to inform the UK’s regulatory body and government about such funding.
Mark Riches, the Chief Executive of GambleAware spoke of a mandatory levy if the industry could not locate money to support its work. He went on to talk about the importance of businesses in Britain that gain profit from gambling supporting the GambleAware company. Furthermore, he stated that the charity is very much happy that the NCF has introduced such measures to ensure transparency of funding.
