Dates Announced for Safer Gambling Week 2022

The UK’s regulated gambling industry has announced that it is joining forces once again for Safer Gambling Week 2022.

This year, the event will be taking place from October 17 to 23. It brings together numerous licensed operators to promote safer gambling messaging, promote customer tools, and highlight the support that is available to those who may need it.

Safer Gambling Week is organized by the BGC, BACTA, the Lotteries Council, and the Bingo Association. This year will be the fifth edition of the event, and it will see a huge increase in safer gambling messages both online and inland venues. Following last year’s event, there was a 17% increase in the use of safer gambling tools compared to the previous month’s average, and it is hoped that this year will produce similar results.

Safer Gambling Week 2021 was declared a huge success with 24.5 million social media impressions, an increase of 16% from the previous year. Furthermore, sessions on the Safer Gambling website were up 79% compared to 2020.

It is hoped that Safer Gambling Week 2022 will encourage businesses to begin a conversation with staff, customers, friends, and family about gambling harms and safe practices.

Safer Gambling Week is now an established annual event. We know that rates of problem gambling are low and are now falling, which is great news, but Safer Gambling Week is further evidence of the regulated industry’s determination to keep raising standards. BGC members demonstrate their commitment to safer gambling every day through initiatives such as the whistle to whistle ban on TV betting commercials during live sport and strict ID and age verification checks. Safer Gambling Week is a great opportunity to highlight this fantastic work – and emphasizes the difference between the regulated industry and the unlicensed and illegal online black market, which has none of the safeguards which are commonplace among our members.

Michael DugherBGC Chief Executive