SkillOnNet tops GambleAware's fiscal Q1 2024-25 donations list
Gambling charity sees 31% drop in donations from fiscal year 2023 ahead of switch to statutory levy with PlayOJO parent company handing over the largest sum
GambleAware has received just under £300,000 in donations and pledges from licensed operators for its fiscal Q1 for 2024-25 ahead of the shift to a statutory levy model.
The figure for the period was down 31.6% from the £430,812 collected in the corresponding period between April and June last year.
Of the total £294,722.99 donated this year, SkillOnNet topped the list with £40,000 – £30,000 more than the firm donated in Q1 2023.
In second place donating £27,547 was Star Racing, while other notable donations included £24,346.68 from ProgressPlay, £21,753 from Virgin Bet and £20,000 from the Postcode Lottery.
There were also large donations from Welcome Break (£19,300), LiveScore Betting and Gaming (£16,420), Castle Leisure (£16,000) and Bandai Namco Amusement Europe (£14,555).
The £472.06 in dormant winnings came from Blue Star Planet, while there was a further £40,000 in regulatory settlements that was funnelled into the GambleAware purse.
There are yet to be any donations from any tier-one operators, with the charity also noting that a greater proportion of donations were received in Q4 2023-24 – January to March this year.
The current fiscal year is likely to be the last year operators will donate money under the voluntary model.
Under the existing research, education and treatment (RET) model, operators are asked to donate a minimum of 0.1% of annual GGY to GambleAware each year.
However, the shift to a statutory method will see operators required to send 1% of GGY to the Gambling Commission, which will then syphon off funds to various RET firms. GambleAware will continue to receive the lion’s share of monies under the new model
Zoe Osmond, GambleAware CEO, highlighted this alongside the release of the donations.
She said: “This is anticipated to be the final year of the voluntary donation system, before moving on to a system with a statutory levy.
“As we transition to the new system, it is essential that funding is maintained at the same level as previous years to ensure there is no disruption to prevention and treatment services for gambling harm.”