Responsible Gambling Week UK returns for its third year this November to raise awareness about responsible gambling.

Responsible Gambling Week 2019 will run from 7th-13th November. The annual event is now in its third year and is funded by the Industry Group for Responsible Gambling (IGRG). It reinforces the IGRG’s support of the three licensing objectives in the Gambling Act 2005:

  • Ensure gambling is kept free from crime and disorder.
  • Ensure gambling is conducted in a fair and open way.
  • Protect children and vulnerable adults.

The initiative, which first took place in 2017, also seeks to inform the public about responsible gambling tools and where to find further advice and support. It sees organisations from all sectors of the UK and Irish gambling industries come together to support its cause, from casinos and bingo rooms to gaming machine operators and pubs. Gambling affiliates and UK gambling charities are also supporting Responsible Gambling Week.

The number of official supporters grows year on year, with member trade associations reaching out to potential participants. These trade associations include:

With support from all avenues of the gambling industry, Responsible Gambling Week is able to reach a wide audience, having seen just under 20 million impressions on social media in 2018. However, John Hagan, IGRG chairman, said that they “want to take the message about safer gambling even further this year, through our own social media channels, with the support of our partners inside the industry and beyond.”

The strapline ‘Let’s talk about safer gambling’ exemplifies the week’s purpose: to encourage conversation about how to gamble responsibly. Neil MacArthur, UKGC Chief Executive, said that this week “provides an opportunity for people across the gambling industry, no matter what their role is, to focus on what part they can play to make gambling safer and reduce gambling harms.”

While some venues will be holding special events during the week, such as ‘take a break sessions’, other organisations will use the week to reinforce important messages about responsible gambling. Gaming machine developers have revealed that their machines will communicate messages to players about safe gambling, while over 1,000 UK pubs will display posters and beer mats with similar messages.

Employees in land-based gambling venues are encouraged to speak to customers about maintaining healthy gambling habits. These venues will display posters and leaflets offering help and advice, while online gambling sites will display banner ads and pop-ups, as well as posting on social media.

As part of Responsible Gambling Week 2019, EGR is holding a summit at Twickenham Stadium in partnership with RGW. The summit will see operators discuss how gambling operators, affiliates and regulators can work together to create a safer gambling industry for the public.

However, it’s not just during the week that organisations are raising awareness. In the run-up to the event, everyone involved will be promoting the importance of healthy gambling habits, as well as how to seek help if you do need support. ResponsibleGambling.org has also been launched as a hub for information on responsible gambling.