The charity that focuses on research, prevention and treatment services for people affected by gambling harm, GambleAware, published a new report revealing details regarding the donations it received for the 12 months ended March 31, 2023.
Judging by the recent figures, the company secured a total of £46.5 million ($58.2 million) in donations between 2022 and 2023. When compared to the prior year period, between 2021 and 2022, when the donations halted at £34.7 million ($43.4 million), this year, an increase of 34% is observed.
Currently, GambleAware asks companies and organizations that profit from gambling activities to donate a minimum of 0.1% of their annual gross gambling yield (GGY). For organizations that make less than £250,000 ($313,000) annually, a minimum donation can be £250 ($313). Overall, four of the largest UK gambling operators contributed to a total of 92% of the donations for the 2022-2023 period. Those operators include Entain, Flutter, William Hill and Bet365.
Donations Expected to Continue to Grow
Combined, the four operators contributed £42.9 million ($53.7 million) out of the total of £46.5 million ($58.2 million) in donations for the period. GambleAware explained that the latest “amount is an increase on last year’s donation from those operators and is due to their commitment to raise the percentage of their GGY they contribute in donations from 0.1% in increments to 1% by 2023/2024.”
“As the leading independent charity and strategic commissioner of gambling harm prevention and treatment across Great Britain, funding is key to ensure the effective delivery of the National Gambling Support Network and our many other programs of work to address and prevent gambling harm.“
Zoë Osmond, chief executive of GambleAware
Zoë Osmond, GambleAware’s chief executive, praised the government’s plans for a statutory levy within the Gambling White Paper and acknowledged that such efforts can deliver stable funding. Additionally, she said that GambleAware hopes to see changes to the sector being implemented swiftly.
Osmond spoke about the charity’s position as a driving force to reduce problem gambling, conduct research and provide treatment services around the country. Finally, GambleAware’s chief executive explained that donations deliver funding for such activities, which in turn help people affected by gambling harm.