GambleAware has published details of donations for the 12 months ending March 31, 2021, declaring a total for voluntary donations of £19m.
This figure is nearly £9m more than the donations received in the 2019/20 financial year which totalled £10.05m.
The charity noted that the rise is due in part to a commitment by the top four gambling companies (Entain, William Hill, Flutter and Bet365) to donate £100m over the next five years. The combined donations received this year by the top four was £15.4m.
Notably from lotteries, Camelot UK donated £425,000, while the Postcode Lottery donated £16,676 and Lottoland donated £4,000. In a collective donation on behalf of its members, the Lotteries Council donated £4,000 as well.
The increased funding will allow GambleAware to continue to improve the services it supports. All funds will go towards commissioning a coherent, coordinated and efficient system of prevention and treatment to keep people across England, Scotland and Wales safe from gambling harms.
In partnership with expert organisations and agencies such as the NHS, these donations fund a range of services, including the National Gambling Treatment Service, which includes the National Gambling Helpline.
In addition to this core funding, GambleAware also received £8.8m in regulatory settlements.
GambleAware also published a list of companies who supported the Safer Gambling Campaign, Bet Regret, for its second year in 2020. The amount donated came to £3.9m, alongside media donations from broadcasters.
CEO Zoë Osmond commented: “This growth in donations is the largest we’ve seen year on year driven largely as a result of the commitment by the “Big Four”. This will enable us to continue and expand our work to ensure evidence-informed services are developed according to need within a robust and accountable system.
“We will shortly be releasing our commissioning strategy which will detail how we plan to use this increased funding to help keep people safe from gambling harms.
“It is estimated that two million adults in Great Britain are experiencing some level of gambling harm, and research published this year indicated that more than one in three people with a gambling disorder have not accessed any support or treatment.
“With these donations, we will continue to fund and improve the National Gambling Treatment Service to provide support for those who need it, while working in partnership with many other organisations to increase awareness of the support available.”
Donations from Lotteries
- Aberdeen & North East Rotary Clubs Charity Lottery Society – £50
- Camelot UK Lotteries – £425,000
- CFP Lottery & Raffle – £400
- EU Lotto Ltd / Lottoland – £4,000
- Hospice Lotteries Association – £750
- Lottomatrix Operations – £300
- Pembrokeshire Lottery – £250
- Postcode Lottery – £16,676
- The Lotteries Council – £4,000 (Collective donation on behalf of its members)
