BetBlocker, a UK-based charity that developed a self-exclusion tool, received the Jim Wuelfing Annual Award for Prevention at the 2024 National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) Awards. The award, presented on July 19th, was accepted by Pedro Romero, the charity’s Chief of Safer Gambling Partnerships.
Named after Jim Wuelfing, an advocate for gambling prevention in the United States, this award celebrates individuals or organisations whose mission is to prevent problem gambling.
The future of self-exclusion
As more gambling occurs online and players use multiple operators located in many different countries, traditional self-exclusion tools have proven insufficient, leading to the emergence of innovative tools like BetBlocker, Gamban, and Gamblock.
BetBlocker provides free and anonymous blocking software entirely funded through charitable donations and partnerships. It restricts access to both unregulated and licensed gambling operators for those seeking self-exclusion. The software also enables users to plan and control their exposure to gambling platforms during vulnerable times, such as late evenings or weekends.
BetBlocker has also made its services accessible to a broader audience by translating its software into seven languages, with more translations underway.
“Deeply honoured”
Duncan Garvie, founder of BetBlocker, expressed his gratitude for the award: “Recognition of BetBlocker’s work by the NCPG, one of the most influential voices in the sector, is one of the highest accolades our organisation could receive. The entire BetBlocker team is deeply honoured by this award.”
Pedro Romero echoed this sentiment, stating, “It was incredibly humbling at the NCPG conference to hear from numerous harm minimisation organisations in the USA that are already referring their service users to BetBlocker. Running an anonymous service, we don’t often interact with our users, so it’s easy to lose sight of how many people are positively impacted by the support we offer.”
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