Following recent public inaccurate and misleading claims about GambleAware, Zoë Osmond, CEO, has said in response to these statements:

“Gambling harms have a devastating impact on individuals, families, and communities. As the leading independent charity dedicated to preventing and treating these harms in Great Britain, GambleAware’s foremost priority is to prevent harm and provide accessible support to those affected. These services are vital, remarkably effective, and readily accessible.

“Gambling operator funding remains the primary source of funding for prevention, treatment, and research into gambling harm. Many charities and organisations receive this funding through the Gambling Commission. We believe the gambling industry should be held accountable to contribute financially to the vital services that prevent gambling harms, which is why we have consistently advocated for a statutory levy. 

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“Our robust governance and commissioning practices ensure that the industry has no influence over our operations. GambleAware’s independence has been widely recognised by a range of stakeholders including the Government, as evidenced in the Gambling White Paper.

“The complaint lodged to the Charity Commission by The Good Law project is based on misleading and outdated information. While we are confident that this complaint will not be upheld, we are deeply concerned that inaccurate headlines and misleading newspaper articles may have a damaging impact on our services and the people that rely on them.

“The deeply stigmatised nature of gambling harms often makes it difficult for individuals to reach out for help. Maintaining the credibility and reputation of essential support services is crucial to reaching people before their gambling issues become catastrophic. Undermining these services, and the dedicated workers and experts who operate them, risks not only those directly relying on them but also the many indirectly affected by a loved one’s gambling problems.

“As gambling harms affect more people, it’s crucial for us all to come together to prevent and alleviate them. GambleAware remains focused on our mission to prevent gambling harms and provide vital support to those affected. We appreciate the continued trust and support from our stakeholders and the public, and we urge anyone experiencing harm to reach out. Help and support are available through the National Gambling Support Network and the National Gambling Helpline, offering free, confidential assistance 24/7 to those in need.”

Standards body The Betting and Gaming Council has welcomed the modernisation plans for casinos, and called for their swift implementation.

Proposals outlined by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, in their White Paper consultation response on land-based betting and gaming, included a host of modest, but mission critical, modernisation measures.

While it will take time to consider the full impact of the proposals, they did include the introduction of cashless payments, new rules on gaming machines allocations and allowing all casinos to offer sports betting for the first time.

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In a further move welcomed by the BGC, the government said the Gambling Commission would consult on player protection measures to ensure the correct standards are in place where debit card payments are used on gaming machines.

While these proposals are welcome, the BGC urged ministers to act swiftly to implement the plans, so businesses could improve their offer to customers without delay.

Michael Dugher, CEO and Acting Chair of the Betting and Gaming Council, said: “Casinos are a vital pillar of the UK’s leisure, hospitality and tourism sector and we welcome the Government’s consultation response which is positive progress on the modest, long-overdue but mission critical modernisation reforms needed for the land-based casino sector to compete and thrive.

“Casinos currently employ more than 10,000 people, contribute £300m annually in tax and generate an estimated £800m a year to the UK economy.

“Much needed reforms on cashless payments, gaming machine allocations and allowing all casinos to offer sports betting will strengthen the sector to better meet the needs and expectations of their customers.

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“While we welcome these proposals, attention must now shift to the timeline for implementing policy changes and we urge the Government to urgently set out a clear timeline for progressing the relevant legislation to make them reality for our members.

“Too many casinos have sadly closed in recent years as successive administrations failed to deliver the changes we needed to protect jobs and growth. The BGC and our fantastic casino members have campaigned for these new measures for years to allow businesses to modernise, innovate and grow, and we strongly welcome the Government’s approach to ensure casinos are better placed to make that happened.”

The new proposals were outlined in a Written Ministerial Statement, by Minister for Sport, Gambling and Civil Society Stuart Andrew MP.

Announcing the new measures, he said: “As set out in the Gambling Act Review white paper, the measures we consulted on are therefore necessary to modernise the outdated and overly restrictive regulations that apply to the land-based gambling sector.”

Casinos are a vital pillar of the regulated betting and gaming sector, as well as the leisure, tourism and hospitality sector. In London alone, they deliver an additional £100m to the capital’s economy. Each month around 22.5m adults in Britain enjoy a bet, whether it’s buying a lottery ticket, having a game of bingo, visiting a casino, playing online or having a wager on football, horseracing and other sports.

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The regulated betting and gaming industry, including the land-based sector, already makes a huge economic contribution throughout the UK, with BGC members supporting 110,000 jobs, generating £4.2bn in tax and contributing £7.1bn to the economy. Meanwhile, the most recent NHS Health Survey for England estimated that 0.4% of the adult population are problem gamblers.

In a strategic move to strengthen its foothold in the UK, digital sports media group Better Collective has acquired sports betting media AceOdds for a total consideration of 42 mEUR implying 4x last twelve months EBITDA.

AceOdds, a versatile multi-language sports betting brand, offers a comprehensive range of betting tools, odds, reviews and streaming schedules through its web and app based platforms. With a robust presence in the UK market, Better Collective’s global reach through local expertise aligns perfectly with AceOdds’s vision of expanding its influence outside the borders of the UK. Following the acquisition, Better Collective upgrades its 2024 full year financial targets.

Ian Bowden, Better Collective’s Senior Director for UK & Ireland, said: “I am thrilled to announce the addition of AceOdds to the Better Collective group. This strategic acquisition brings us a robust owned and operated sports betting media brand in the UK market, poised for global scalability. Aligned perfectly with Better Collective’s overarching strategy of acquiring leading sports media brands across various niches, the AceOdds brand fills a crucial gap by offering a vital sports betting affiliation brand in a pivotal growth market for the Better Collective group, along with an app benefiting from hundreds of thousands installs to further increase the reach we can provide our partners.”

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Established in 2008, AceOdds was founded with the aim of providing UK sports enthusiasts with an easy-to-use betting calculator. Over the years, the brand has expanded, offering a well-regarded web platform featuring a range of betting tools, comparison features, live streaming schedules, an odds and parlay calculator, and more. Additionally, AceOdds has introduced a popular app.

The acquisition aligns with Better Collective’s strategy of owning the full range of sports media across key regions, spanning from traditional sportsbook comparison brands to general sports media, social media content creators, podcast producers and beyond.