BETTER CHANGE STATESIDE
“For many, all they want is a chance and they are
prepared to do
anything to move forward with their lives and
regain their independence”
to use their allowance for a few hours of eSports escapism. Or for a job seeker to take shelter in a warm high street bookmaker from a cold, winter morning pounding the streets looking for work. Likewise, a newly single mum recovering from domestic abuse can be forgiven for joining in with the bingo chat rooms as her children sleep on a Saturday night. These are arguably some of the most vulnerable people in our communities and it’s our duty to protect them.
Research lacking
Research into the number of social housing tenants suffering gambling harm is sadly lacking presently (something we hope to change soon!) but we know that those with free time on their hands, low incomes, housing instabilities, relationship breakdowns and recovering from other addictions such as a drug or alcohol dependency are especially vulnerable to gambling harm. For this reason, our mission at Better Change, alongside our partner ESG Gaming, is to empower social housing tenants to achieve independence and climb both the social and property ladders while also providing a robust education around safer gambling. Not only have operators and other organisations been
incredibly generous by funding our research opportunities with the CERG via their RET contributions and CSR funding, but they have welcomed the opportunity to truly make a difference within their local communities by allocating additional funding to offer residents of supported living facilities close to their venues access to a bespoke gambling awareness course. Not only are the interactive workshops designed to promote healthy gambling habits such as making
use of the safer gambling tools available, never spending more than you can afford and avoiding chasing any losses but we share inspirational anecdotes from those with lived experience of gambling harm as it helps to humanise the issue and is always one of the most engaging elements of our sessions. It’s not enough to simply run gambling awareness workshops and hope the message sinks in. it’s vital that we ensure the learning continues and is reinforced in a way that helps to develop genuine life skills. Employability is one focus area that we have found especially impactful. Several of the team at Better Change have come from successful and enjoyable careers in iGaming and so we recognise that it’s a fantastic industry to work in with plenty of opportunity. For this reason, we use it as a backdrop for the career development elements of the training. For the majority of social housing tenants, a career is something that someone else has. For them, the future often feels like a lifetime of working in a minimum wage job with little to no prospects. The look on their face when you demonstrate the career paths our industry can offer, and that there’s a very real possibility of starting out in Customer Services and eventually becoming a Managing Director which was exactly the path for two of our guest speakers, is absolutely priceless. Career mentoring, job application, CV writing assistance and interview technique training coupled with real life work experience with some of our partners means that not only can the industry protect its most vulnerable from developing gambling harm but it can truly contribute to improving the lives of those living within close proximity of its venues. Let’s not forget that recruitment is often one of the biggest pain points for operators seeking to attract top talent into vital roles such as customer service, Customer Due Diligence and Fraud. Sadly, the iGaming industry doesn’t fi nd itself on the recommendation list of many career advisors and so for many, this is the fi rst time they have been made aware of the opportunities available.
A chance
We often get asked if it’s appropriate to introduce someone vulnerable to a career in gaming and if operators really want to employ them. The answers are simple. We are not anti-gambling in any way but are keen to ensure that anyone participating does so from an informed position and are fully aware of the potential dangers and their associated warning signs. In terms of employability, we’ve been privileged enough to witness some of the most hardworking, tenacious and enthusiastic people come through our programmes. For many, all they want is a chance and they are prepared to do anything to move forward with their lives and regain their independence. Many have found themselves falling on tough times later in life which means they already have a strong work ethic and experience using their transferable skills. The charity Shelter who are fi ghting to end the devastating impact the housing emergency has on people and our communities, reported that “The UK is in the midst of a housing crisis with an estimated 320,000 people in the UK classifi ed as homeless and 295,000 in temporary accommodation.” It’s for this reason we’re keen to help as many people return to independent living as soon as possible, freeing up the accommodation for the next person and in turn, trying to help ease the housing crisis, sustain our industry and offer someone a chance. If you’ve ever been given a ‘break’ and think you could help
give someone else their chance, feel free to get in touch so we can discuss the various ways you can help support us in the fi ght to protect the most vulnerable from gambling harm.
APRIL 2022 33
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