Gambling – advice for all

Gambling addictions, like any other addiction, can take over your life. Young people in particular may not be aware of the risks associated with gambling or the harmful impacts of problem gambling. Bad things that can happen include:

• losing money that you need to spend on other things such as lunch, bus fares, clothing etc.
• mental ill-health including depression, loss of self-esteem, feeling of guilt
• resorting to criminal activities to fund gambling – such as theft – which could lead to a criminal record
• falling out with friends and family due to changes in behaviour and loss of trust
• not doing well at school, college or work
• failing exams that impact on a future career.

Before you transfer any money into a gambling account you should check that the organisation you plan to gamble with is licensed by the Gambling Commission (GC).

Licensed gambling businesses must display that they are licensed and provide a link to their licence register where you can see what type of activities they are allowed to offer and also if the GC have taken any regulatory action against them – visit the website at secure.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/PublicRegister

If there is no regulatory action listed, then the GC have not taken any action against them.

You can also see their address, website domain names, trading names and current licence status.

• Find out more at www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/what-to-look-at-before-gambling

The Beacon Counselling Trust in partnership with GamCare, deliver a free gambling support service for individuals and families affected by problem gambling in the Greater Manchester area.

This service includes a national telephone helpline and other support services including live chat rooms and forums and following assessment; face to face engagement i.e. one to one counselling; couple counselling; and group counselling; along with a number of advice and guidance platforms including debt management and social support.

• Find out more on their website at beaconcounsellingtrust.co.uk/manchester

Beacon Counselling Youth Outreach – their free offer has been updated.

• Contact Beacon for further details at  jacki@beaconcounsellingtrust.co.uk or tele: 07793432219

GamCare provides information, advice and support for anyone affected by problem gaming – their work encompasses education, advice, treatment and communication.

• GamCare Helpline free on 0808 8020 133 (8am to midnight)
• Visit their website at www.gamcare.org.uk/youth
• Download their leaflet – Gambling & Youth – at www.gamcare.org.uk/Youth.pdf

Big Deal shares experiences of young people that have developed addictions including football betting.

• Visit their website at www.bigdeal.org.uk

The Mix provides information on what is a gambling addiction, who is most likely to be affected by gambling, what are the temptations, difficulties that may be encountered during the process of giving up gambling, and how to deal with a relapse.

• Visit their website at www.themix.org.uk

The Money Advice Service provides free and impartial money advice via web chat or call 0800 138 7777 (Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm and Saturday 9am to 1pm).

• Visit their website at www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk

Childline can provide support with addiction – call their 24/7 free phone line 0800 111.

• Visit their website at www.childline.org.uk

Skins in the Game – research from the Royal Society of Public Health which has some interesting insights from the young people.

• Find this at www.rsph.org.uk

PHSE – network gambling educational resources include a podcast

• Visit www.pshe-association.org.uk/gambling

NAO – report which looks at gambling harms and call for changes to how the industry is regulated.

• Visit www.nao.org.uk/gambling-regulation-problem-gambling-and-protecting-the-vulnerable/

The National Strategy to Reduce Gambling Harms was launched in April 2019 and can be viewed on the Gambling Commission website at www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk

Reducing gambling harms means taking a broader focus than simply encouraging individuals to gamble responsibly, and this strategy sets out collectively how we can adopt a public health approach to reducing gambling harms.

A public health approach to reducing gambling harms is not solely – or even primarily – about health care provision – it is about adopting practices that bring benefit at the population level, as well as at the individual, in order to prevent gambling harms from occurring. It means recognising that a broad range of measures must usually be taken by different people and organisations to address what can often be a complex mix of harmful consequences.

This strategy sets out how, by focusing combined efforts on two strategic priorities of prevention and education and treatment and support, we can collectively have the most impact on reducing gambling harms.

• Prevention and education: To make significant progress towards a collective and clear prevention plan applying the right mix of interventions.
• Treatment and support: To make significant progress towards truly national treatment and support options that meet the needs of current and future service users.

These inter-related strategic priorities are delivered through four enablers:

1. regulation and oversight
2. collaboration
3. evaluation
4. research to inform action.

The Gambling Commission and licensing authorities work in partnership through shared regulation of gambling premises and will use the findings and evidence generated through the developing public health model to build on existing tool-kits for gambling, using an evidence-based approach.

Considerable progress has already been made in developing this work and details can be found in the Public Health toolkit on the Gambling Commission website at www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/Licensing-authority-toolkit/Reducing-Gambling-Harms-resources

• The work on the strategy has its own website at www.reducinggamblingharms.org