It may be four months away, but plans are already being made in the UK for Safer Gambling Week. The October event will see “a blitz of safer gambling messages” being issued.
Bacta, The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) , the Lotteries Council and the Bingo Association are all working together for this important week. The aim is to “build on last year’s success” as the four UK gaming bodies all work together.
Talking about plans for the 2022 Safer Gambling Week, the aim of spreading awareness about various responsible gaming tools was stressed. Setting deposit limits for example is vitally important for those who may have problems with gambling. The numbers using deposit limits has increased by 17% after the 2021 Safer Gambling Week events.
Last year’s event also saw an increase of 16% in social media expressions, going up to 24.5 million. The number of sessions held on websites specialising in safter gambling were 79% higher than in 2020.
The Chief Executive of the BGC is Michael Dugher. He believes that Safer Gambling Week is now “an recognized event.” The Chief Executive admits that there are low charges of difficult gambling in the UK and that the numbers are falling.
The latest figures from the UK Gambling Commission showed that in March of this year, the problem gambling rate was 0.2%, down from 0.4% in 2021, online casino experts reported.
He sees that as “great news” but more must be done. “Safer Gambling Week is extra proof of the regulated manufacturing’s purpose to keep raising values.”
The 2022 event will come at a time when the UK government is reviewing the 2005 Gambling Act. The way in which we gamble has changed dramatically since that legislation was passed, especially with the arrival of online betting. Details of what the government has in mind are expected to be revealed in June.
There have already been changes made in recent years. Measures have included a flute-to- flute ban on sports betting ads while live sports events take place. There has also been an increase in the strictness of identification and age certification checks.
October will see both online and land-based gambling covered. The intention is to again create a “national conversation” on how to bet responsibly, whether it be in casinos, playing the lottery, gambling on esports, or trying to get a full house at bingo.
Also commenting on the upcoming Safer Gambling Week was Miles Baron. He’s the Chief Executive of the Bingo Association and sees the week as “an vital part of the bingo industry’s guarantee to shared responsibility.” He added that the week will be a “valuable focal idea” when it comes to importance movement plus support accessible in the time not just one week.
Changes have recently been made to gaming machines. The BGC, Bacta and the Bingo Association produced a new Safer Game Design code for them. The changes include machines not showing a celebration of wins that are less than the stake that was made for the spin. Previously, there would be visual and/or auditory displays made.
Bacta Chief Executive John White sees the Safer Gambling Week as a chance to bring “buyer attention to the tools that are accessible to them” if they believe they have a problem with their gambling.
