Leading the charge in responsible gambling
This year’s International Gambling Harms Awareness Day lands at a turning point for iGaming. The digital spread of gambling through mobile apps and digital platforms leaves real-world scars in homes, in relationships, and in mental health services.
This year’s theme, #behindthebet, turns the spotlight on what often goes unseen: the emotional, relational, and financial ripple effects of gambling harm.
Led by Gordon Moody, one of the UK’s most respected gambling addiction charities, the annual awareness campaign takes place on Wednesday, 26 March 2025. It opens up conversations, breaks down shame, and helps people find support when they need it. At its core, the message is simple. There’s a human story behind the statistics.
This year, it’s about more than raising awareness. It comes when the gambling sector is under increasing scrutiny. Around the world, regulators are tightening expectations, campaigners are growing louder, and ESG practices are being taken more seriously across every vertical.
The gambling industry, once known for being reactive, now finds itself at a crossroads—either embrace accountability or risk falling behind.
The good news? There is progress. Organisations like Gordon Moody have helped shift the tone from blame to support. Also, independent forums like the upcoming Ethical Gambling Forum (EGF), now in its fourth year, are building the bridge between awareness and action.
A crossroads for the gambling industry
Taking place in Gibraltar on 29–30 April 2025, the EGF brings together industry leaders, regulators, HR teams, and safer gambling professionals to discuss what responsible gambling should look like in real terms. This year, the EGF dives into the practical ways the industry can embed sustainability, accountability, and duty of care into its daily operations.
ESG isn’t just a buzzword anymore. It’s starting to show what a company really stands for. Expectations are growing. At this year’s EGF, sessions will explore the importance of lived experience, the need for better staff training, and why collaboration, not competition, is key to building a safer gambling environment. Workshops will address how gambling operators can improve internal culture, design safer products, and support those in crisis before they reach the breaking point.
The message from the EGF is simple: Ethics aren’t a side dish; they’re the main course. Gambling companies no longer have the luxury of treating safer gambling as a compliance checkbox. Today’s players are more informed, vocal, and socially conscious than ever. They demand better, and rightly so. Those who treat this as a tick-box exercise risk more than regulatory reprimands. They risk losing trust, talent, and the players who expect integrity as part of the package.
Campaigns like #behindthebet don’t stand alone. Across Europe, there’s a growing movement to take gambling harm seriously — not just in crisis moments but year-round.
Europe is turning up the volume
In November, European Safer Gambling Week, coordinated by the European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA), brings operators together across jurisdictions to share best practices and improve consumer protections. The UK’s Safer Gambling Week, backed by key charities and trade bodies, also keeps the spotlight on responsible play and prevention. Also, the UK Government recently appointed the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) as the new Prevention Commissioner for Gambling Harms.
Progress isn’t a pipe dream. It’s already starting to happen. But it needs to be louder, bolder, and better connected.
That expectation aligns neatly with the aims of #behindthebet. Behind the bet? A person. And behind that person? It might make us uncomfortable, but it’s a story we need to listen to. For some, gambling is entertainment, and for others, it can spiral into something more serious. Campaigns like this give visibility to those struggles and offer a lifeline to those still suffering in silence.
When someone struggles, those closest to them often carry the weight, too. Partners, children, and communities can all be affected. First come the money worries, then the cracks in relationships. And then, all too often, mental health takes the hit, too. The campaign creates a more honest and compassionate conversation by encouraging people to share their stories and download awareness materials.
The future depends on action and awareness
For the gambling industry, the challenge is to keep up that conversation year-round—not just on a single awareness day. This also includes all industry stakeholders. For example, Mastercard and Visa are facing tough questions over their role in handling payments for unlicensed gambling sites.
The answers are already out there. Smarter design. Better teamwork. What’s needed now is the will to act.
The industry is making real progress with safer gambling tools, from real-time player protection to self-exclusion programs. These tools are already helping operators to recognise and support players at risk before harm escalates. This ongoing commitment to prevention and innovation shows the industry’s increasing focus on building long-term sustainability.
International Gambling Harms Awareness Day may last only 24 hours, but its message should echo far longer. Behind every bet is a chance for change. Those who act now will lead the charge.
