Safer Gambling Week 2024 (Nov 18-24)

Author: Paul Aitken
Published: 07/11/2024
Last Modified: 05/12/2024

November 18th-24th, 2024, is Safer Gambling Week in the United Kingdom. It’s part of the industry’s efforts to protect problem gamblers and highlight the issues facing many individuals in the UK today.

What is Safer Gambling Week?

First launched in 2017 as ”Responsible Gambling Week” before switching to its current name in 2020, Safer Gambling Week is an initiative designed to promote responsible gambling in the United Kingdom.

Organised by the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC), the Bingo Association, and the British Amusement Catering Trade Association (Bacta), it’s usually held in October/November and spans a week of events and promotions geared toward making the UK gambling space safer.

What Happens During Safer Gambling Week?

The Safer Gambling Week website is central to this initiative, with many gambling sites using Safer Gambling Week to promote the domain and its many resources, including guidelines on setting limits, self-exclusion, and more. Operators also promote their own responsible gambling pages and highlight additional tools and resources to help those struggling with gambling issues, as well as players who think they might be developing an issue.

Getting Ready for Safer Gambling Week 2024

Problem gambling is very serious. It’s something that has an impact on all aspects of your life, including your mental health, social life, and your finances. It also has a habit of creeping up on you, with many problem gamblers not realising that they have an issue or refusing to acknowledge the fact.

Safer Gambling Week is a time for operators to support and players to assess, so if you’re a regular casino/bingo player or sports bettor, look out for the following signs that you might be a problem gambler:

• You’re spending more money on gambling than you can afford to lose
• You find yourself chasing losses
• Gambling is constantly on your mind and the only thing you can think about is when you will have the time and opportunity to gamble
• You need to increase the amount that you wager to attain the same “buzz”, even though your finances haven’t improved and can’t accommodate such a change
• You find yourself arguing with friends and family as a result of your gambling
• You hide the true state of your gambling from loved ones

You don’t need to relate to all of the above to have an issue with gambling. But if many of them ring true, here are a few things that could help.

• Create a bankroll to monitor incomings and outgoings
• Set deposit limits or loss limits
• Don’t gamble under the influence of alcohol or drugs
• Take a time out or use a self-exclusion (these options are available on all regulated UK casinos) if you’re gambling too much
• Open up to your friends and family. They can support you through these issues, and will provide you with some accountability that pushes you to remedy the issue

How to Get Involved with Safer Gambling Week

If you run a gambling operation, you can do your bit by encouraging players to gamble responsibly. Point them toward helpful tools, discuss personal assessments, provide tips and guidance, and link to the resources provided by the Safer Gambling Week website, as well as posts shared on their X account, Facebook page, and Instagram profile.