GamCare announces helpline saw record number of calls in January
Gambling charity confirms 3,700 online chats and phone calls took place in the opening month of 2023
GamCare has announced that a record number of calls to its helpline were received in January, with advisors citing the ongoing cost-of-living crisis as the main cause for increased gambling and individuals finding themselves gambling-related difficulty.
In total, 3,700 online chats and phone calls were made in January; a 17% increase compared to the same period last year.
This comes off the back of the charity’s announcement in 2022 that it received a record 42,000 calls and online chats, an increase of 5% on 2021.
GamCare again highlighted the impact of the cost-of-living crisis and wider economic unrest as the main reasons for this increased level of contact.
As a direct result of this, GamCare has launched MyGamCare, an online self-help area where people can set goals, view personalised content, track their moods and get resources to help and support them in their gambling activities.
This launch aims to help those individuals struggling with gambling to self-manage themselves through greater understanding of how gambling can impact a player’s time, money, relationships and wellbeing.
Alongside this, the charity has made its helpline available through WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger following research which showed these to be the most frequently used methods for individuals under the age of 35 to reach out to the charity.
On these findings and the new launches, GamCare CEO Anna Hemmings stated that it is important to give people as many ways as possible to seek help in order that players are able to use the medium they are most comfortable with to make contact.
Hemmings said: “With almost four in five people who used our services last year citing issues with online gambling, we know that the nature of gambling has changed significantly over the last 10 years and that more can be done to reach people when and where the harm is occurring.
“With the introduction of MyGamCare – along with our WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger capabilities – we hope to open the door for people to get help sooner and to reach out for support in a way that works for them.”
Hemmings concluded: “We know how difficult making that first step can be and how many people might not feel at a stage to talk about their gambling yet. It’s important that the options are there for people to start that journey in whichever way they are most comfortable.”