The 2024 Safer Gambling Week campaign has set a new benchmark for awareness and engagement, generating over 60 million impressions on social media platforms, including X, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram. This marks a 21% increase compared to the previous year and underscores the growing impact of this annual initiative, which ran from November 18 to 24.
The campaign gained high-profile support from senior MPs and peers across political parties, including Gambling Minister Baroness Fiona Twycross and Shadow DCMS Secretary Stuart Andrew MP. It also had the backing of the Gambling Commission, with Chief Executive Andrew Rhodes lending his support.
Premier League football clubs, including Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa, and Southampton, joined the initiative, amplifying its message to millions of fans. The Safer Gambling Week website received over 500,000 visits, providing tools, advice, and resources to help individuals manage their betting behavior, such as deposit limits and time-out options.
Organized by the Betting and Gaming Council, BACTA, and the Bingo Association, Safer Gambling Week aims to foster a national conversation around responsible betting. This year’s efforts included online and in-venue promotions, highlighting the importance of safer gambling tools and encouraging open discussions among staff, customers, and their communities.
The campaign featured events like the EGR Safer Gambling Forum, which facilitated industry discussions on best practices and the latest developments in safer gambling initiatives. Additionally, EPIC Global Solutions hosted a live webinar exploring underreported issues, such as problem gambling among women.
Safer Gambling Week has been a cornerstone of efforts to promote responsible betting in the UK, where approximately 22.5 million people engage in gambling activities each month. The overwhelming majority participate responsibly, with the NHS Health Survey for England estimating that only 0.4% of the adult population experiences problem gambling.
Now in its eighth year, Safer Gambling Week continues to build momentum, reinforcing its commitment to raising awareness and providing tools to ensure betting remains an enjoyable and controlled activity.
BGC Chief Executive Grainne Hurst said: “These outstanding and record-breaking results prove once more that our industry is serious about promoting the safer gambling tools available to customers and signposting the help and support available to those who need it.
“Whilst we await the details on the number of people using safer gambling tools, past years have shown us that an increase in the number of social media impressions has led to an increase in the use of popular tools – like time-outs and deposit limits – that only exist in the regulated industry.
“Thanks to Safer Gambling Week, we can be confident millions of people are better informed about the ways they can safely enjoy their hobby, that’s something the entire industry can be proud of.
“As I said at the beginning of the week, our commitment to safer gambling is not just for one week of the year. It is our mission for every week of the year.”
English