Britain’s Betting and Gaming Council announced that a record-breaking number of bettors are now using the safer gambling tools available to them. The BGC attributed the increase to the success of the Safer Gambling Week initiative.
According to the BGC, the number of deposit limits set during last year’s SG Week increased by a massive 18% year-on-year. The council furthermore added that 54% of the customers who set deposit limits during the campaign did so for the first time.
Additionally, the BGC reported that the number of people setting a reality check during Safer Gambling Week increased by more than 300% for the second consecutive year.
The use of maximum stake limits also increased by over 300% during SGW 2023, the BGC added.
In total, the campaign saw some 83,242 unique account holders set up deposit limits, up 12.5% year-on-year.
This was not all as SGW also smashed previous social media records, generating more than 50 million impressions across Facebook, Instagram and X. According to previously released data, SGW 2023, which ran from November 13 to 19, saw a 70% increase in impressions.
The next Safer Gambling Week is set to take place from November 18 to 24, 2024.
Dugher Says Safer Gambling Is a Pillar of Regulated Gambling
Michael Dugher, chief executive and acting chair of the Betting and Gaming Council, commented on the matter, praising the newly released figures. He said that the initiative remains a “powerful advert for increasing use of safer gambling tools.”
This is a pillar of the regulated industry and is in marked contrast to the unsafe, unregulated and growing online gambling black market, which provides no safer gambling support, contributes zero tax and does not support sport.
Michael Dugher, CEO, BGC
Dugher added that BGC members offer safer gambling tools all days of the year, allowing players to set limits and enjoy betting with minimal chances of harm.
Safer Gambling Week has been running for over seven years now, prompting important industry-level conversations and highlighting the range of tools available to customers.
In other news, the BGC recently announced that its members are expected to contribute a record £105 million ($133.6 million) in levy payments to the Horserace Betting Levy Board (HBLB) for last year. This figure would represent a significant rise and would mark the third consecutive year of YOY increase.