BETTER CHANGE
further from the truth. I know that issues such as COVID have skewed our timelines, but the advancements in player protection a decade ago were seismic. It was as I was transitioning from working as an operator to working with a treatment provider, and the engagement between the industry and the support network was very strong, with a great deal of learning shared. Gambling operators were developing and becoming much more confident in the promotion of safer gambling tools. If anything, the appetite and opportunities for collaboration were greater than they are now. The public health narrative, particularly in the UK, has driven a divide between the industry and services that provide support through research, prevention and treatment. The only redeeming feature is that the current and relevant knowledge resides within the industry, with thousands of people now employed full-time in industry roles focused solely on making gambling safer and identifying harmful behaviour. That hasn’t stopped a continued drive from some quarters to claim that lived experience of harm should still play a key part in our safer gambling strategies, but you have to ask why? Such has been the development of our controls and our policies that it is almost impossible for some of the scenarios that led to individuals
experiencing harm in the past to experience harm in the same way now (I speak only for the regulated market, of course, and it is a grave concern that illegal operators are actively targeting vulnerable individuals). We cannot be complacent when it comes to harm, and we need to take ownership of our products and the impact they can have on people, but answer this question: How does the experience of a former gambler 10 or 20 years ago help us keep our business compliant and the players of today safe? In my opinion, it doesn’t, but we continue to relive these stories. Better Change helps protect product quality, consumer choice and the long-term sustainability of the regulated sector by empowering those who work within it as opposed to making them feel sufficiently bad or guilty about working in the industry that it provokes some form of action.
I am extremely proud to work in gambling, as are the team at Better Change, which should also be the case for everyone else in gambling who has contributed to the advancements in compliance and player protection in recent times. It is an impressive legacy, but one that can easily be forgotten, so keep sharing the good news stories. Play Positively Rob
Rob Mabbett
Rob joined Better Change from the charity Gordon Moody where he spent 5 years running their international gambling helpline “Gambling Therapy” as well as helping to raise their profile and ensure sufficient treatment spaces were available in their residential treatment centres to meet demand. With over 12 years industry experience, including being a previous winner of the Racing Post and SiS Betting Shop Manager of the Year award, Rob brings a unique insight into the
prevention and treatment of gambling harm and is keen to focus his
efforts further upstream as we aim to prevent against
gambling harm at Better Change through
Positive Play.
MAY 2026 19
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