The Betting & Gaming Council (BGC) has revealed that Safer Gambling Week 2024 made an impressive impact, garnering over 60 million views on social media.
This annual initiative, conducted by the BGC, BACTA, and the Bingo Association, is now in its eighth year. It aims to heighten awareness about responsible gambling tools and resources accessible both in physical venues and online, encouraging dialogue about safer gambling among staff, patrons, and their social circles.
Held from November 18 to 24, this year’s campaign saw a 21% rise in social media engagement compared to the previous year, with activities taking place on platforms such as X, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram to spread the message of safe gambling.
The initiative also received bipartisan support from UK politicians, including Gambling Minister Baroness Fiona Twycross and Shadow DCMS Secretary Stuart Andrew MP.
Additionally, the UK Gambling Commission and its CEO, Andrew Rhodes, backed the campaign, alongside Premier League football teams like Aston Villa, Tottenham Hotspur, and Southampton.
During the campaign, the Safer Gambling Week website reported over half a million visits, offering guidance on safer gambling tools such as deposit limits and time-outs, and directing those in need to relevant support services.
“These remarkable and record-setting outcomes show once again our industry’s dedication to promoting safer gambling tools and pointing out the help available for those in need,” stated Grainne Hurst, CEO of the BGC.
“Although we’re awaiting detailed data on the usage of these safer gambling tools, historical trends indicate that increased social media impressions correlate with higher tool adoption—specifically time-outs and deposit limits—provided by the regulated sector.”
“Thanks to Safer Gambling Week, we are assured that millions are now better informed about how to safely participate in their pastime, which is a point of pride for the entire industry.”
“Our dedication to safer gambling extends beyond one week in the year—it is our mission throughout every week of the year.”
Additional events supporting the campaign included the EGR Safer Gambling Forum and a live webinar by EPIC Global Solutions focusing on gambling-related issues among women.
Furthermore, SBC hosted its SBC Digital – Player Protection Day, a one-day virtual conference in collaboration with Vixio Regulatory Intelligence. This event tackled various subjects, including player protection tools and software, safer gambling messaging, affordability checks, cross-operator collaboration, and more.