Calls to UK gambling helpline spike during Euro 2020

Content Team August 23, 2021
Calls to UK gambling helpline spike during Euro 2020

GamCare registers 28% increase during the EUFA games

Contrasted with a similar time-frame last year, calls to the National Gambling Helpline GamCare went up by 28% during the Euro 2020 competition. Gamcare, the cause that runs the help, says the comeback of live games this late spring is prompting an ascent in risky betting conduct.

Anna Hemmings, CEO - GamCare.
Anna Hemmings, CEO – GamCare.

Anna Hemmings CEO of GamCare commented to Sky News saying “Certainly people who’ve had gambling issues in the past tell us that it really impacts on their ability to watch sport. Partly because it’s triggering and partly because of (gambling companies’) sponsorship and advertising.”

More than half of the helpline’s guides say they’ve addressed a recuperated player who backslid during the Euros, with some individuals revealing going to outrageous lengths to bet once more. A few callers even expressed calling in disguise as they had previously asked for a ban from bookmakers.

As soon as the Premiere League returns with full-capacity crowds, gambling will see another spike. Hemmings emphasised that lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic have sped up an internet betting emergency and she stressed that the arrival of the Premier League season and other live games will likely see additional players get back to gambling.

She has publicly called for recovered gamblers to ask betting shops to ban them from the building.

iGathering Riga:

The next SiGMA iGathering networking event will be held in Riga. The dinner, which is planned for the 26th of August, at 19:00, is set to take place at the stunning Royal Casino. The evening will also welcome guests from neighbouring countries Estonia and Lithuania, tapping into a wide network of the region’s top industry thinkers.

For more information on the event please contact Emily on [email protected] or visit our website to find out more about upcoming iGathering events on the SiGMA calendar.

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