Hope Centre Northampton CEO calls gambling companies ‘parasites’ ahead of Safer Gambling Week
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Protests against the gambling industry continue to rise in anticipation of Safer Gambling Week, starting Monday (November 1), with some in Northampton joining the call.
The annual event, which is meant to promote support and mechanisms to keep gambling customers safe, is participated in by the regulated betting and gaming industry in Britain.
These include the Aspers, Admiral and Grosvenor casinos which all have branches in Northampton.
Advocates say that the event has gone from strength to strength since its establishment in 2017, even in spite of the pandemic.
According to the Safer Gambling Week website, the number of people seeing a post related to Safer Gambling Week 2020 increased by 19 percent on the previous year, up to 19 million.
At the same time the number of people using safer gambling tools, such as setting deposit limits and self-exclusion, saw a reported ‘increase’. However no numbers are listed.
Meanwhile detractors warn that events like this do very little to prevent harmful gambling from taking place. They say that the industry profits off of poorer people and those with addictions to the extent that real harm is caused.
One sobering statistic puts gambling-related suicides at anywhere from 250 to 650 a year, according to the group Gambling with Lives.
Robin Burgess, who is CEO of Hope Centre, Northampton and former chief executive of the Responsibility in Gambling Trust, has also joined their voices. He says he takes a personal interest in gambling and has seen its impact first-hand in his work with the poor and homeless.
He said: "Don't gamble. It's that simple. To me gambling is always a mistake. I don't mean the National Lottery or your local church raffle, like minor gambling. I mean betting on horse races, card games and so on.
"The odds are always stacked against you and the house always wins in the end.
"The gambling industry is a parasite on modern families and has no place in a civilised society."
"Gambling is a mug's game."
Yet members of the industry insist that protections are working and even improving as time goes on.
Michael Dugher, chief executive of the Betting and Gambling Council, said: “As the standards body representing the regulated betting and gaming industry, the BGC is delighted to support Safer Gambling Week 2021.
“Last year’s event was a huge success despite the pandemic and, with the prospect of betting shops and casinos being open when this year’s takes place, I’m sure Safer Gambling Week 2021 will be even better.
“Our members already demonstrate their commitment to safer gambling through things like increased funding for research, education and treatment, the whistle to whistle ban on TV betting commercials during live sport and strict ID and age verification checks.
“During the pandemic, we have also seen the number of safer gambling messages on betting websites more than double, while direct interventions where customers have been spending more time and money betting than before Covid have increased by 25 percent.
“Safer Gambling Week is a great opportunity to highlight this fantastic work – and emphasises 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.”
Anyone who needs help or support related to gambling should call the National Gambling Helpline: 0808 8020 133
