GambleAware has presented the key steps of its BetRegret campaign in a recent report on behalf of the Safer Gambling Campaign Board.
The gambling harm prevention charity discussed in its report the launch of the first stage of the campaign in February 2019 as well as the second stage in September 2020, which focused primarily on the behavioural factors behind problem gambling.
The report also outlined the rationale and initial policy motivation behind a public awareness initiative on the topic of gambling harm, in addition to the alignment of the campaign’s key stakeholders and the creation of a public health driven approach for all campaign activity.
The BetRegret campaign has focused primarily on the psychological and behavioural impacts of problem gambling, with a particular focus on the feeling of regret some people experience when making an impulsive betting decision.
A key aspect of the initiative encourages bettors to ‘tap out’ of their gambling apps before they place a bet, in order to think through the potential implications and prevent ‘bet regret’.
A total of 2.4 million men aged between 16 and 34 were targeted in the first stage of the campaign. It began with an advertisement during Sky Sports’ broadcast of the Manchester United vs Liverpool match on February 24, 2019, to try and gain maximum exposure to sports fans and bettors.
At the time of the campaign’s launch in 2019, then Minister for Sport and Civil Society, Mims Davies, said: “This ground-breaking joint campaign will make people think hard about their betting habits, assist to remove the stigma around gambling addiction and give people more courage to say they need help.
“It is crucial that we both focus on prevention as well as cure and this campaign will help to educate people to recognise risky play. I am determined to deliver more collaborative work to help to change behaviours to reduce the threat of problem gambling.”
GambleAware is an independent charity that primarily acts as a nationwide provider of integrated prevention, education and treatment services for people suffering from problem gambling
Representatives from GambleAware form part of the Safer Gambling Board, alongside figures from Public Health England, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.
The Safer Gambling Board is responsible for the design and delivery of a campaign based on best practices in public health education.
