The U.K.’s Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) insists that its members have no influence over the projects and research of GambleAware, although they donate a lot of money to the charity.
That insistence came after the Guardian reported that the BGC wanted to redirect 25 percent of funds that it donated to GambleAware to research, education and treatment (RET) projects chosen by some of its members.
GambleAware’s independence to pursue projects, despite large donations from gaming companies such as Flutter Entertainment and William Hill, has been questioned in recent news articles. Sir Iain Duncan Smith, vice chairman of Gambling Harm APPG, decries industry participation in RET funding, calling it “a racket that simply has to end.”
The Guardian quoted that “sources at GambleAware said there had been a significant shift in plans for how further money tackling industry harm would be spent.”
BGC fired back that “the industry has absolutely no say on how this funding is spent by charities, nor does it seek one.” It added, “We do not expect those who profit from the gambling industry in Britain to direct all RET financial contributions to GambleAware, nor do we seek to restrict what donations are made to other safer gambling initiatives or organizations” – in which GambleAware maintains complete transparency by publishing its full list of donors.”
Another gambling reform organization, Gambling with Lives (GWL) has called for a 1 percent levy for all gaming operations be used to fund a completely independent body to supply GambleAware. That levy is something that GambleAware itself has supported publicly. CEO Zoë Osmond said such a levy would provide a “sustainable model” to fund programs and projects.
