The 2023 campaign builds on the growing success of the previous five years, in which support and awareness have continued to increase.
Key successes and milestones from the 2022 campaign include:
- Safer Gambling Week 2022 smashed previous social media records, generating nearly 30 million impressions on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. 21% up on the previous year.
- Polling found that awareness of all the safer gambling tools was greater post the Week. For example, awareness of a timeout or cool off period increased from 30% pre-SG Week to 34% post.
- A large number of cross-party senior MPs and peers – including former gambling minister Damian Collins MP and several shadow ministers including the Shadow Gambling Minister Alex Davies Jones MP – all gave their backing to the campaign.
- EGR hosted a Safer Gambling Forum which provided an opportunity for the industry to share knowledge and best practice on safer gambling, alongside hearing updates from safer gambling charities.
- Among the well-known sporting figures to support Safer Gambling Week 2022 were former football manager Harry Redknapp and former Celtic striker John Hartson, who both recorded videos promoting safer gambling.
Safer Gambling Week continues to have unprecedented support from across the industry; arcades, bingo clubs, bookmakers, casinos and online, both from operators affiliated to sector trade associations and those who are not, creating a genuinely pan-industry campaign.
The Week aims to reach the widest possible audience and stimulate conversations about safer gambling: engaging with customers, operators (land and online), associations, media owners, support agencies, influencer and training organisations, government agencies and, more broadly, the general public.
Safer gambling material, including key safer gambling messages and information, are set to be displayed both in venues and online, with coverage of the campaign anticipated in the news, on social media and partner websites. In addition to this training and events are being organised by gambling businesses and leading charities such as GamCare and YGAM.
The key objectives of SG Week remain consistent with previous campaigns and are to raise awareness of:
- How to gamble more safely
- The tools that are available to help customers gamble more safely all year round
- Sources of further advice and support for those who need it.
Briefing documents and access to resources have been circulated by trade associations and remain available through the Safer Gambling Week website: safergamblinguk.org
