BETTER CHANGE
Better Conversations = Better Outcomes
Better Change’s Engagement Director, Rob Mabbett, wonders just where 2025 went, and looks forward to an eventful 2026.
here did the year go? It only seems a few weeks ago that I was discussing the end of a turbulent year of political wrangling and uncertainty within the safer gambling sector. Lo and behold, 12 months later, it seems it has been another year of political wrangling and uncertainty. At least we are consistent. I do feel there is more to be cheerful about this year, however. Despite the ongoing debates around regulation across Europe, taxation and a seemingly buoyant black market, it seems that for many organisations the penny has dropped that ours is an industry in a permanent state of fl ux, and instead of
W 20 DECEMBER 2025
being crippled by speculation of what is to come, they have decided to get on with the job in hand. This has certainly been true here at Better Change. This time last year, I was speaking about the politics in the UK around the funding for research, prevention and treatment of gambling harm. That industry voices were being excluded, and there is a real danger that we could lose a signifi cant amount of safer gambling expertise built up over the years within operators and within a 3rd sector funded by voluntary contributions. As I am writing this, there have been developments as the commissioning bodies have been selected and the gambling industry has had its fi rst
(sizeable) levy bill, but how much money has gone towards services? Zero, not a penny, and there won’t be any until at least April 2026. Waiting around for any crumbs off the levy table was simply not an option for us at Better Change, so we got on with what we set out to do, and that was to promote Positive Play® and shine a light on the good work that is being done in our industry to keep people safe, and what a year it has been! Internally, we have added considerably to our training and education offer with new free and premium e-learning courses, including increased compliance content such as Keeping Crime out of Gambling and Anti
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