News
GAMCARE PUBLISHES 2006 CARE SERVICES REPORT
2 April 2007
GamCare has today published its 2006 Care Services Report. The Care Services Report is intended to provide a snapshot of those clients who utilised GamCare’s services over the year; it is not research of the type currently being undertaken in the form of the British Prevalence Survey, due for publication in September.
An increasing number of people came to GamCare during 2006. There is no evidence to suggest that the increase in client numbers represents an increase in problem gambling per se. It may equally be that an increasing number of people has become aware of the services provided by GamCare. Whilst the number of people making use of GamCare’s care services has increased, the diversity of our clients in terms of age group, gender and ethnicity has also broadened. GamCare needs to ensure that the differing needs and experiences of these diverse groups are appropriately and adequately addressed.
GamCare has continued to extend its services with a view to providing an across the board helpline and counselling solution, available in person, over the telephone and online. The launch of the NetLine service in February 2007 will enable access to the equivalent of our HelpLine services through the internet. By the Autumn, this service will extend to include the provision of online one-on-one counselling services.
The 2006 Care Services Report is compiled of data gleaned from GamCare’s clients, through the HelpLine, specialist individual, couple and group counselling services and through our GamCare partnership programme provided by carefully selected counselling agencies across the UK.
HelpLine
The HelpLine (0845 6000 133) is available 16 hours per day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
A total of 30,247 inbound calls were made to the HelpLine in 2006, a 33.9% increase on the previous year.
With over 2,200 registered members engaged in peer to peer support, the message forum saw a 300% increase in use in 2006. Since its launch, the chatroom has delivered over 350 hours of live community chat sessions, moderated by experienced GamCare staff.
Gamblers aged between 26 and 35 constituted the largest single group of callers (37.4%) to the HelpLine. The number of women gamblers increased very slightly to 13.2% (2005: 13%).
Betting continued to be the dominant gambling activity, accounting for 30.7% of callers. Fruit machine playing declined for a third year running (at 22.2%) and there was a small increase in Fixed Odds Betting Terminals ‘FOBTs’ (at 22%).
Fruit machines remained the most attractive form of gambling for women with FOBTs second.
The betting shop remained the most popular gambling location reported by callers, irrespective of age group. The next most popular location for gambling was the Internet.
The average debt specified by callers was £13,867.
GamCare Counselling Service
The GamCare Counselling Service provides specialist individual, couple and group counselling for problem gamblers, partners and family members.
During the course of 2006, the Counselling Service engaged with 428 clients and undertook 2,334 individual and group sessions. (No comparable statistics are available for 2005).
Women gamblers attending for counselling remained under-represented. Only 9.3% of counselling clients were women. However, a programme of group sessions for women is now operative.
Reflecting the highly diverse ethnic mix of London, one third of counselling clients came from Black and Minority Ethnic groups.
Betting and FOBTs remained the predominant modes for counselling clients, accounting for over two thirds of clients’ problematic gambling.
There was a slight reduction in clients reporting problems from remote gambling at 11% of counselling clients.
In terms of counselling outcomes, at assessment 44.4% of clients were regularly gambling at a severe level and 33.3% were gambling periodically. By closure, 72.7% of clients were not gambling.
At assessment, only 12.7% of clients reported having no psychological problems. By closure, 54.5% of clients reported good psychological health.
GamCare Partnerships
The aim of the GamCare Partnership programme is to expand the availability of professional and sustainable problem gambling counselling across the UK.
In 2006, service delivery across the partnerships increased substantially with a 42.8% increase in session provision from 2005. A total of 919 clients were seen and 4,704 counselling sessions provided.
The percentage of women seen was higher than in the GamCare Counselling Service, with women accounting for 15.7% of clients. Nevertheless, this was a fall from the 18% recorded in 2005.
The predominant age range was between 26 and 45 with a fall in the number of clients under the age of 25.
Betting was the main gambling mode of clients across the partners, followed by fruit machines, casino table games and FOBTs. The percentage of clients gambling remotely was marginally higher at 6.8%.
Adrian Scarfe, Head of Clinical Services, at GamCare, said:
“Each year, our Care Services Report is anxiously anticipated by commentators. Whilst only a snapshot of our clients, it is the only such statistical material that emanates from those helping people with gambling problems every day of the week. The report speaks for itself."
"I personally am most proud of the number of people we have been able to help and the successful outcome of our counselling services. That proves that we are able to directly improve peoples’ lives.”
Anthony Jennens, Chairman of GamCare, said:
“The suspension or cessation of activity in the new casino sector does not signal an end to problem gambling. No new casino would have opened for several years, but the ongoing debate about selection of locations and numerous legal battles would have helped to promote public awareness of the issue of problem gambling.”
We urge all those who have expressed concern about problem gambling to follow their words with action and to help to raise public awareness so that we may continue in our endeavours to protect the vulnerable through education, prevention and treatment. Today’s Care Services Report demonstrates just how many people GamCare has been able to help in the last year. GamCare has had a substantial impact on those peoples’ lives.”
To obtain a pdf copy of the report click here
02 April 2007
Contact
Nicola Crewe-Read 01242 890141
Director of Communications
07986 380577
nicola@gamcare.org.uk
Geoffrey Godbold OBE
020 7378 5200
Chief Executive
geoffrey@gamcare.org.uk
Notes to Editors
GamCare has a commitment to promote responsible attitudes to gambling and to work for the provision of proper care for those who have been harmed by gambling dependency.
GamCare strives to develop strategies that will improve the understanding of the social impact of gambling, promote a responsible approach to gambling and address the needs of those adversely affected by a gambling dependency.
GamCare offers a variety of care services and communication channels for those who are affected by problem gambling. Individuals can receive information, advice, support or counselling through our National Helpline, one to one counselling, or email service. In addition to the online forum for members, GamCare is launching an online counselling service in early 2007.
GamCare’s national helpline telephone number is 0845 6000 133. GamCare’s NetLine service is available at www.gamcare.org.uk.