BETTER CHANGE
Protecting Vulnerable
“The true measure of any society can be found in how it treats its most
T 32 APRIL 2022
vulnerable members.” Gandhi
he gambling industry is one which is constantly being measured by the way it looks after its most vulnerable and overall, it does a pretty good job, but is it enough? 47% of adults in Britain claim to have gambled at
least once in the past month making it a popular pastime that is almost as ingrained in our culture as Fish and Chips, Big Ben or Harry Potter. We know that access to gambling is at an all-time high with
punters participating in everything from betting on sports, going to casinos and playing arcade or bingo games as well as playing remotely via their personal devices at online sites. For the majority, a day at the races, the odd evening at a casino to celebrate a stag do or a game of bingo on a Friday night with friends is a perfectly harmless and enjoyable leisure activity akin to going out for dinner or to the cinema. For some though, gambling can lead to serious harm. It’s estimated that 395,000 people are problem gamblers
in Britain and it’s vital that if we are to sustain our industry long term, we put appropriate, impactful and measurable plans in place to look after our most vulnerable players.
Communities Improving knowledge
Improving our knowledge and understanding of gambling related harms is at the centre of the Gambling Commission’s National Strategy to Reduce Gambling Harms as well as ours here at Better Change, which is why we have partnered with the experts at the Centre of Excellence in Responsible Gaming (CERG) at the University of Gibraltar. Together with the industry who are generously supporting our work with their RET funding, and other altruistic businesses directing their CSR budgets towards us, we have been able to focus on delivering bespoke research into areas such as customer interactions, usage of safer gambling tools and the difference in gambling behaviours across various jurisdictions. A key focus for us is the identifi cation of vulnerable audiences within our communities and refi ning the ways we can reach them with innovative and long-lasting educational programmes designed to prevent gambling harm and encourage a sustainable, lifelong, healthy relationship with gambling. In order to deliver that, Better Change has started working with a number of social housing providers all across Britain. For many who fi nd themselves in the caring hands of
organisations such as Centrepoint, the Lotus Sanctuary or Serco, gambling is an attractive temptation as it offers an escape from the routine of daily life along with the enticement of potentially winning a life changing sum of money. It’s clear to see the attraction for a 17-year-old in foster care
The key question is who are these vulnerable players and how do we reach them?
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