News

In November 2006 GamCare was delighted to welcome Helen Sear, Consumer Protection Officer from the National Lottery Commission (www.natlotcomm.gov.uk) to the GamCare team on a two-year secondment. Helen arrived at a time of significant anticipation for everyone at GamCare and indeed for the industry as a whole. With less than 12 months to go until the arrival of the Gambling Act and with it the new Prevalence Survey, GamCare was brimming with activity, both in supporting industry in ensuring that they would be compliant with the relevant licence conditions and working to finalise development of our long and eagerly awaited online service ‘NetLine’.

GamCare looked forward to drawing on Helen’s own experience and understanding of regulation and player protection whilst at the same time offering her the opportunity to further develop her own awareness and understanding of problem gambling issues and associated support services.

Fast forward nearly 24 months and it is, with sadness, almost time to see Helen return to the NLC. For almost 12 months now Helen has been solely responsible for the operational management of GamCare’s online services and supported the launch of the Online Counselling service, which has shown considerable early success and indicated an important future within our range of treatment provision. NetLine, whilst still less than two years old has increased its operating hours from an initial 40 hours per week, over 5 days, to a service offering access to an advisor for more than 90 hours over 7 days. In the last month alone, NetLine advisors have taken over 470 calls from problem gamblers, their friends or family, an increase of almost 200% on the same month last year.

Additionally, since the end of May, Helen has provided interim management cover for the Telephone Helpline. Helen’s enthusiasm and willing involvement in all of GamCare’s activities has been without question and she has achieved much for which the staff team will remain grateful. Helen has directly and through her support of the growing team of advisors provided significant assistance, advice and counselling support to those affected by a gambling problem. Furthermore she has contributed to the advancement of our primary services at a time of political, technical and social change within gambling in the UK. GamCare should like to take the opportunity to express its sincere thanks to Helen, and the National Lottery Commission, for making such an exciting secondment prospect a successful reality. We wish Helen well and look forward to a continued working relationship with both her and the NLC.