The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) has reported a significant increase in the use of safer gambling tools during Safer Gambling Week 2024, underscoring the campaign’s growing reach and engagement across the regulated igaming industry.
Data from the initiative, which took place between 18–24 November 2024, shows that more than 1.5 million unique accounts utilised at least one safer gambling tool during the campaign, marking a 22% increase compared to the previous year. Additionally, there was a 14% rise in the number of deposit limits set by players, with nearly half of those limits applied by users doing so for the first time.
Throughout the week, over 7.2 million safer gambling messages were delivered across digital platforms, a 10% uplift on the previous year. The campaign also saw a 21% rise in social media impressions, reaching over 60 million across X, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
Safer Gambling Week is a cross-sector collaboration spanning UK and Irish licensed operators, including betting shops, bingo halls, casinos, online gambling platforms, and amusement arcades. The initiative is supported by industry stakeholders, charities, and regulators, including the Gambling Commission.
The 2024 campaign was endorsed by several members of Parliament, such as Gambling Minister Baroness Twycross and Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Stuart Andrew, as well as Shadow Gambling Minister Louie French. Football clubs including Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa, and Southampton also helped extend the campaign’s message to broader audiences.
The Safer Gambling Week website received over 500,000 visits during the campaign period, providing users with information on safer gambling tools such as deposit limits and time-outs, and directing those in need toward support services.
According to the most recent NHS Health Survey for England, an estimated 0.4% of the adult population in Britain are classified as problem gamblers. The BGC states that approximately 22.5 million adults in the UK participate in some form of betting each month, highlighting the importance of initiatives aimed at promoting responsible gambling behaviour within the wider igaming sector.
BGC CEO Grainne Hurst, said: “Safer Gambling Week has proved its worth once again by making a real impact encouraging even more punters to make the most of the broad range of safer gambling tools only available in the regulated sector.
“These new figures are a testament to its ongoing success, and this industry’s commitment to raising standards and ensuring the millions of customers who enjoy a regular flutter, do so in a safe and responsible environment.
“Our members promote safer gambling every day of the year, but a single dedicated week, bringing together the whole sector with support from MPs, peers, the regulator and other stakeholders, promotes that work in a uniquely powerful way.”
