Our strategy
We believe that we can support anyone experiencing gambling harms, no matter where they’re at in their journey. We’re hopeful that we can create a safer society free from gambling harms for everyone.
Gambling is more prevalent than ever before.
61% of adults in GB have gambled in the past year, with 2.5% of the population experiencing ‘problem gambling’. Gambling harms do not just impact the person who gambles. Our data shows that up to 9.2% might be experiencing ‘problem gambling’ or be negatively impacted by someone else’s gambling. This equates to 4.8 million people.
Gambling companies are making more money each year than ever before, with around £15.1b made in Great Britain a year.
We're working toward a future in which the NHS and other statutory bodies take the lead in commissioning prevention and treatment services, whilst continuing to receive support from the voluntary and private sectors.
Despite a year of uncertainty following the delays to the publication of the government’s response to the gambling statutory levy consultation, and the absence of a National Gambling Harms Strategy, our strategic vision of a society where people are safe from gambling harm continues to anchor our work as an organisation.
This vision is based on a collaborative approach, which acknowledges the many other organisations, networks and individuals, including those who have lived experience of gambling harms, that have a key role to play across the system, or that have potential to do so in the future.
Recognising the changing context that we are operating in, later in 2024 we will publish a new Strategic Plan for the period October 2024 to March 2026 aligned to our strategic vision.
Our Strategic Framework was developed in 2023. It sets out the five key outcomes that we are seeking to achieve, reflecting a coordinated whole system approach, while keeping a focus on individual need and acknowledging the impact of gambling harms on families, communities and society.
The Strategic Framework was developed with the involvement of our Board of Trustees, our Lived Experience Council and our commissioning teams.
In line with our strategy, the Strategic Framework recognises that we cannot treat our way out of the harm caused by gambling and accordingly reducing gambling harms at a societal level requires a prevention approach. We enact this by deploying primary, secondary and tertiary interventions to prevent or reduce harm:
Interventions such as national public health campaigns and education.
Interventions such as workforce training, debt advice services, Tier 1 interventions which provide information and advice such as the helpline, Tier 2 treatment which includes screening and referral to specialist treatments, extended brief interventions, triage and aftercare.
Tier 3 treatment which is structured, psychosocial treatment delivered on a community-based, outpatient basis, and Tier 4 which is residential treatment.
We have identified five long-term outcomes that we believe will collectively lead to a society safe from gambling harm. These are:
You can find out more about our outcomes in our Annual Report.
