The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) of the United Kingdom has confirmed its support for Safer gaming Week, an annual event that promotes responsible gaming practices. The BGC will host the sixth edition of this key industry project from November 13th to 19th, 2023, in conjunction with BACTA, the Lotteries Council, and the Bingo Association. Safer Gambling Week is a venue for encouraging debates about safer gambling, raising knowledge about available self-control techniques, and providing assistance to those in need.
Promoting Safer Gambling Messages Across Platforms
Safer Gambling Week aims to spark a national dialogue about responsible gambling by emphasizing the significance of safer gaming both online and in brick-and-mortar locations. The event brings together numerous gaming industry stakeholders to work on promoting responsible gambling messages. The event hopes to reach a large audience and leave a lasting impression by using the power of social media platforms and traditional means.
Building on Previous Campaign Success
An examination of last year’s programme found that Safer Gambling Week had a considerable impact. In October, almost 200,000 user accounts established deposit limitations, a 12.5% increase over the previous year. Notably, 61% of these participants established deposit limitations for the first time. The use of reality checks, which deliver on-screen alerts tracking playing time, increased by 300%. Furthermore, Safer Gambling Week broke prior social media records, producing nearly 30 million impressions on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, a 21% increase over 2021.
Commitment of the Gaming Industry to Safer Gambling
The importance of Safer Gambling Week in promoting safer gambling tools and offering help within the regulated betting and gaming business was emphasized by Michael Dugher, Chief Executive of the BGC. He emphasized the continually low rates of problem gambling, which were assessed at 0.3% in a recent Gambling Commission report for the fiscal year ending March 2023. Dugher applauded BGC members for their ongoing commitment to responsible gambling, as seen by efforts such as the whistle-to-whistle prohibition on TV betting ads during live sport pre-watershed and the offering of a varied range of instruments for punters.
Collaboration and unity for a safer gambling experience
The Bingo Association’s Chief Executive, Miles Baron, offered his complete support for Safer Gambling Week, stressing the positive benefit of bringing together the whole gambling sector for one week to raise awareness of safer gambling. He emphasized the significance of responsible behavior throughout year, making Safer Gambling Week a vital and commendable undertaking. BACTA Chief Executive John White reiterated these comments, emphasizing BACTA members’ continuous commitment to providing a safer gambling experience and reducing the number of customers encountering gambling-related difficulties to record-low levels.
Government support and widespread acceptance
Last year’s Safer Gambling Week was backed by top MPs and peers from a variety of political parties, including then-DCMS minister Damian Collins MP and Shadow DCMS Secretary Lucy Powell MP. The event was also supported by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport (DCMS) and the Gambling Commission, demonstrating the need of working together to promote responsible gambling practices.
Promoting Responsible Gambling Discussions
Safer gaming Week allows businesses and organizations in the gaming sector to start talks about responsible gambling. These discussions should include not only employees and customers, but also their friends and family. Safer Gambling Week seeks to empower individuals to make educated choices and create a safer gambling experience for all by encouraging dialogue and raising awareness.
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