Over the past year, the National Gambling Helpline received a staggering 52,370 calls and online chats, marking a significant 24% increase compared to the previous year.
This surge follows a previous record in the year leading up to March 2023. The month of August 2023 was especially noteworthy, setting a new record for the highest level of activity in the helpline’s history.
December 2023 also stood out with a 39% increase in contacts compared to the previous year, making it the busiest Christmas period since the helpline’s inception.
One contributing factor to this increased engagement was the launch of a WhatsApp channel for the helpline in February 2023, which saw an additional 6,000 interactions during the year.
Additionally, in 117 of these calls and chats, individuals attributed their gambling issues to financial pressure caused by the ongoing cost-of-living crisis.
Samantha Turnton, Head of Remote Support Services at GamCare, noted this remarkable increase, stating that it represents a “landmark climb” in people seeking help to begin their recovery journey from gambling addiction.
She emphasized the significance of early intervention and encouraged individuals at any stage of their gambling problems to reach out.
Anna Hargrave, Chief Commissioning and Strategy Officer at GambleAware, emphasized the importance of prevention and early intervention support services, highlighting the need to prioritize them when the statutory gambling levy is introduced.
Simultaneously, Gamstop, the national self-exclusion scheme for Great Britain, reported a 9.5% increase in new registrations for 2023, reaching an all-time high of 92,000 in the past year.
Of these registrations, 55% opted for a five-year exclusion period, the longest option available through Gamstop, while other durations included six months and one year.
However, there are concerns regarding illegal gambling operators targeting self-excluded players on Gamstop.
Yield Sec, a data analysis firm, identified 231 illegal operators in the UK, which now constitute 4% of the country’s total online gambling market share and gross gaming revenue.
Additionally, over 1,000 affiliates were found to promote and publicize these illicit sites.
Yield Sec also revealed the presence of thousands of Google searches related to avoiding self-exclusion, creating a concerning environment that allows vulnerable gamblers to bypass legitimate self-exclusion strategies.
Ismail Vali, Founder and CEO of Yield Sec, expressed distress over the prevalence of illicit gambling options targeting problem gamblers and called for immediate and meaningful intervention to address this issue.