What we do
GamCare provides the national telephone and online helplines, delivers treatment for problem gamblers and their families, creates awareness about responsible gambling and treatment, and encourages an effective approach to responsible gambling within the gambling industry.
For details of our funding, governance, our services, our GamCare Certification award for industry, and our vision for our future click here
The Nature of the Problem
The key survey is the Gambling Commission’s 2011 British Gambling Prevalence Survey, which built on the 2007 British Gambling Prevalence Survey and 1999 survey commissioned by GamCare. For a summary of the findings click here
Funding Gambling Research, Education and Treatment
It is the Government’s policy that the gambling industry should provide funds for treating those affected adversely by gambling and for research, education and prevention. The Responsible Gambling Trust, which is chaired by Neil Goulden, is an independent charity which raises money from the gambling industry and distributes those funds to research, education and treatment providers. The charity raised over £5m in 2011/12 and aims to raise £6m in 2012/13. click here
Gambling and Debt
The first known UK research to focus exclusively on the relationship between problem gambling and problem debt, published in October 2009, was jointly commissioned by GamCare and the Money Advice Trust. Researchers at Manchester Metropolitan University, supported by the Salvation Army, sought the views and experiences of problem gamblers and their families, representatives of the credit and gambling industries, and professionals from the money advice and problem gambling fields. For a summary and the report click here
Young People and Problem Gambling
Problem gambling doesn’t just affect adults. There are an estimated 127,500 people aged under 24 with a gambling problem in the UK. The rate of problem gambling is over three times as high in young people as it is in adults. However it has consistently been shown that young people do not seek help for gambling problems. For more information about young people and gambling click here
GamCare's Response to the Responsible Gambling Strategy Board: initial strategy and priorities for research, education and treatment
GamCare fully supports the Responsible Gambling Strategy Board’s (RGSB) emphasis on basing strategy and decisions on evidence and evaluation. However, we believe that some of the RGSB's recommendations are premature, and are not clearly based on evidence or evaluation. To read our full response click here.
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