Safer Gambling Week Breaks Record, Says BGC
Safer Gambling Week 2024 has been hailed as a big success after the event set new records on social media.
Social media plays a key role in promoting responsible gambling. © Stroganova, Pixaby
Key Facts:
- 60 million impressions recorded for Safer Gambling Week 2024, says the BGC
- Event was backed by industry regulator, the Gambling Commission
- Promoted by Premier League sides Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa and Southampton
- Half a million visits to the Safer Gambling Week website recorded
The event, which has been running for eight years now, recorded an amazing 60 million impressions on platforms X, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.
Safer Gambling Week 2024 ran from November 18 to 24 and social impressions were up by more than a fifth (21%) on the previous year.
Its growth in 2024 was helped by the campaign being boosted by Premier League clubs such as Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa and Southampton.
Serious About Safer Gambling
The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) has highlighted the impact of the Safer Gambling Week 2024 campaign, which it runs along with the Bingo Association and BACTA, which is a trade association representing the amusement and land-based low-stake gambling industry.
BGC chief executive Grainne Hurst described the campaign’s results for its 2024 iteration as “outstanding and record-breaking” and said that they prove that the “industry is serious about promoting the safer gambling tools available to customers and signposting the help and support available to those who need it”.
Hurst added: “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.”
It was not just on social media where Safer Gambling Week 2024 had an impact, with the campaign’s website seeing half a million visits.
Safer Gambling In The News
Responsible gaming is a hot topic right now, with the government recently announcing a new statutory levy for the gambling industry.
Labour says it will raise around £100 million a year for gambling-related harms as a result of the levy, with the last NHS Health Survey for England finding 0.4 per cent of the UK’s adult population are problem gamblers.
Safer Gambling Week 2024 included events such as the EGR Safer Gambling Forum, where industry representatives were able to share knowledge and best practice on the vital issue of betting responsibly.
Hurst added: “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.”
