GambleAware CEO Zoe Osmond has rallied back against “unsubstantiated claims” about the charity’s record by ministers and public health experts during “oral evidence hearings on gambling harms”.
Osmond added: “Members of our independent Board of Trustees are leaders across the NHS, public health and third sectors and have no connection to the industry.”
Furthermore, GambleAware also took issue with the impact of the statements from witnesses, describing them as “ill-informed”.
She added that criticism of these services is of major concern as they ultimately impact service users, “risking them turning away from services or not seeking support when they need it.”
She also pinpointed recent support from the Charity Commission as evidence of the vital work that GambleAware does within the industry.
“The gambling industry has absolutely no input at any stage of GambleAware’s research commissioning, delivery or publication process. We do not engage with the gambling industry to discuss or consult on any aspect of our work,” emphasised Osmond.
GambleAware has underlined that as part of all of its research it commissions, it seeks to ensure a transparent and competitive process, assessed by external experts and individuals with lived experience of gambling harms, and undergoes peer review to ensure academic integrity and methodological rigour.
Turning to public health campaigns and education, Osmond also sought to counter what she described as misleading claims about GambleAware’s programmes being compromised by industry links.
“All of GambleAware’s vital campaigns are fully evidence-based and are developed with no input from the industry,” she wrote.
It continues a debate around the role of the third sector when it comes to player protection, as the UK transitions into a new era of player protection and funding around safer gambling.
Funding in focus
Previously speaking to iGaming Expert, Regulus Partners’ Dan Waugh has expressed significant concerns over the mandate and funding of the Office for Health Improvement and Disparity (OHID), which he described as a prohibitionist department.
At the time of the OHID appointment, Waugh raised concerns over the intent of the department – suggesting that they had touted developing ‘tobacco-style’ plain packaging for gambling, including no colours, images or logos on any gambling products.
Speaking to iGaming Expert at the Deal Me Out conference, he stated: “That’s a clear statement of prohibitionist intent. So we should be very worried that they have been given a mandate and pot of money to go out and pursue this.”
He also warned that “complete uncertainty” could engulf the sector as a result of the sweeping regulatory changes.
Under previous frameworks, funded largely by voluntary operator contributions, the third sector provided around 85% of safer gambling support, however, Waugh issued the stark warning that the new measures are at risk of completely ‘destabilising’ treatment in the UK.
It is currently unclear as to the level of funding safer gambling organisations, such as GambleAware and Gordon Moody, can expect to receive from the £100m+ of annual industry contributions.
According to Waugh, it is crucial they aren’t left behind as a result of the major reforms.
Waugh stated: “They are now being thrown into complete uncertainty about whether they’re going to be able to carry on operating because they will have to apply to the NHS for the money that used to come direct to them under the voluntary system.
“They are also being told that they cannot go out and receive their traditional funding from gambling operators. So the idea seems to be to make them dependent upon the NHS with no certainty about whether they’ll get any money out of the NHS.”
