GambleAware reveals donations list of the companies that donated a combined £34.7 million during the 2021/2022 financial year. (Image from [email protected])
GambleAware, a leading UK charity that provides information, support, and treatment to those affected by problem gambling, has revealed its donations list for the 2021/2022 financial year. The report revealed that during the 12 months starting April 2, 2021 and ending March 31, 2022, the charity had received £34.7 million in voluntary donations from companies operating within the gambling industry.
Of that total, the leading ‘Big Four’ operators in the UK accounted for 89% of those donations. That translates as £30.9 million in combined donations from Betfair (£6 million), Ladbrokes Coral (£4.765 million), William Hill (£4.578 million), and Entain (£4 million).
The total amount of donations increased by over £15 million on the previous year, although that was expected due to an agreement in place between the charity and the four companies listed above. Each has agreed to incrementally increase the percentage of their GGY (gross gaming yield) each year from 0.1% to 1% by 2023/2024. This is an agreement made in faith that should go some way to aiding the support and treatment handed out by a charity that claims up to 2.9 million people in the country are at risk of gambling harm.
GambleAware claims that it funds the support and treatment each year of over 12,000 people suffering from gambling addiction in the UK. The charity also receives over 40,000 calls to its gambling hotline.
GambleAware Calling for More Consistency Across the UK Gambling Industry
While GambleAware is delighted that the ‘Big Four’ are continuing to honour their agreement, the charity claims that the donations received from the industry as a whole are still falling short. The charity claims that the total donations received fall short of what they would receive if there were a mandatory levy imposed on companies operating within the gambling industry.
GambleAware has long called for the government to implement a funding model that is not voluntary, but mandatory instead. The charity, which strives to offer best in class solutions to prevent gambling harm, is once again calling on the government to consider and implement these recommendations.
Zoë Osmund, the CEO of GambleAware, had this to say on the matter:
We’re very welcoming of the commitment made and currently honoured by the ‘Big Four’ operators to increase the level of donations made to our charity. However, we feel that there is an inconsistent approach being taken by the wider industry regarding funding. This is why we are once again calling on the government to make funding mandatory rather than voluntary.
Other Brands That Made Contributions to GambleAware During the 2021/2022 Financial Year
GambleAware provided a link to a full list of donors that contributed throughout the financial year. Operators and suppliers from all areas of the gambling industry put their hands in their pockets to help the cause of GambleAware.
Hillside donated £2.69 million, while major brands such as Playtech (£101,000), Greentube (£55,000), White Hat Gaming (£47,300), Red Tiger Gaming (£51,000), Evolution (£25,000) and the Hippodrome Casino (£46,000) all made significant contributions. Each of these contributions will go some way to helping the charity fund the necessary support and treatment for those affecting by gambling harm in the UK.
Gambling addiction not only harms the people struggling with the addiction but also those around them. This is why we urge anyone that feels they have a gambling problem to seek help immediately. You can content GambleAware or any of the other respected charities and organisations that strive to prevent and treat gambling addiction.
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