UK Football Clubs Sign Up To Support Responsible Gambling Week
Several UK football clubs have signed up to support Responsible Gambling Week 2019.
At least four UK football clubs have announced their support for Responsible Gambling Week 2019 (#RGWeek19) kicked off this Thursday (November 7th) and runs through to next Wednesday (November 13th). The various football clubs and casino operators have voiced their support for the campaign in order to promote responsible gambling and trigger a conversation on safer gambling.
The Blackburn Rovers, Stoke City FC, Sunderland AFC, Middlesbrough, and Derby County are a few of the football clubs who have signed up to support the campaign. In doing so, the clubs have pledged to publish Responsible Gambling Week information on their club websites and social channels through the week, changing the club’s shirt to a logo of the campaign for one match and displaying #RGWeek19 messages on its LED screens on matchdays.
What’s more, the clubs will also publish information promoting five key responsible gambling behaviours which include only spending what you can afford, setting your limits for time and money, understanding that gambling is not the answer to any problem, understanding that gambling when angry or upset is not a good idea, and that gambling shouldn’t interfere with personal relationships.
Responsible Gambling Week 2019 is being led by the Industry Group for Responsible Gambling (IGRG) in the UK and by the Irish Bookmakers Association in Ireland. The two companies hope the campaign will spark a discussion on responsible and safe gambling while raising awareness of the support and help available to customers.
John Hagan, the Chairman of the IGRG, said in a statement: “We are delighted that Rovers will be supporting Responsible Gambling Week. We want to take the message about safer gambling even further this year, and are confident this will be our biggest campaign yet.
“The continued engagement and support of football clubs is enormously helpful in highlighting the week and triggering a national conversation about what it means to gamble responsibly throughout the year.”
Support From Around The UK
Alongside the football clubs, the English League Football (EFL) Championship and Sky Bet will dedicate advertising space in matchday programs, on social media and on big screens to promote the campaign. Football Index also recently announced that it will be moving its logo from the Nottingham Forest shirt for the club’s upcoming game against Derby County this weekend, and replace it with a message promoting the Responsible Gambling Week 2019 campaign.
Football Index’s Marketing Director Mike Bohan said in a statement: “We’re delighted to show our backing for Responsible Gambling Week. Gambling responsibly is key to our platform so raising awareness and triggering conversations on how to keep betting fun and safe is a huge priority of ours.”
He added: “We hope our support resonates with the wider public in promoting safe and responsible gambling.”
The news comes after a survey by YouGov under commission by the IGRG found that most people struggle to define what does and does not constitute gambling. In fact, the survey found that of its 2,000 respondents, only 10% considered themselves gamblers despite purchasing scratchcards, betting on sports events and playing the lottery.
What’s more, the news comes days after a group of cross-party MPs called for an overhaul of online casino regulations including a maximum bet limit on online slot machines. The announcement caused the shares of UK Gambling firms to drop and led several of the nation’s top firms to pledge their commitment to five new measures to avoid the UK government from imposing stricter regulations.
For more information on Responsible Gaming Week 2019, please visit the Industry Group for Responsible Gambling’s website. If you believe you or someone you know may be suffering from a gambling addiction, visit our Responsible Gambling page for advice and the contact details of services and charities that can help.