A UK-based charitable organization, GamCare, has unveiled new directives for managing gambling-related financial burdens. They advocate for enhanced cooperation among various entities to mitigate the detrimental effects of gambling.
GamCare is strongly advocating for inter-sectoral collaboration to tackle gambling-related harm.
In the eleventh month of the year, GamCare hosted the second installment of their Gambling Related Financial Harm (GRFH) workshops, centering on the issue of gambling-related debt. The gathering explored how diverse sectors can more effectively assist individuals grappling with gambling-related financial burdens.
The gathering brought together over sixty individuals, encompassing experts from the University of Bristol and Lloyds Banking Group, representatives from debt counseling agencies Citizens Advice, PayPlan, and StepChange, and individuals who have firsthand experience with gambling-related financial burdens.
In discussions regarding inter-sectoral support, participants deliberated on how to provide assistance customized to each client’s unique requirements and communication preferences. They reached a consensus that assistance and support pages, along with related content, should encompass information pertaining to financial management and debt handling for gamblers and those impacted by their behavior. This should be developed in conjunction with debt counseling and gambling support services, as well as individuals who have lived experience with GRFH.
In other conversations, crucial points included: financial guidance and credit departments should employ combined marketing strategies to advertise their services, presenting themselves as a secure environment to reveal gambling harm, while also guaranteeing sufficient resources and effective collaborations to ensure long-term achievement.
Moreover, participants investigated how to motivate organizations across various fields, as well as gambling operators, to share data, understandings, and reports to aid in enhancing assistance for those struggling with gambling-related financial burdens.
Additionally, attendees examined the effect of cross-sector teamwork on education and how this would contribute to future progress. The gathering decided that training across all sectors should encompass how to identify and comprehend harm risk factors, vulnerability drivers, and risk characteristics of groups who may experience GRFH, including risk characteristics of those affected.
Other key points concerning education included how to engage in assured, sensitive, proactive, and timely discussions with those impacted by gambling harm, incorporating lived experience at the core of all training, and how to recognize and support those affected.
The meeting also suggested that customer service personnel in gambling support and credit departments should assure clients that contacting financial guidance services will not influence their credit score, clarifying what factors do and do not affect credit scores.
In conclusion, GamCare advises that departments collaborate to create a set of resources to assist customer-facing personnel in having sensitive discussions about GRFH and implement it across all markets.
Moreover, it is proposed that all departments utilize firsthand accounts and narratives to help eliminate the stigma, shame, and obstacles to accessing gambling and debt assistance, making it easier for individuals to seek support.
“As economic pressures escalate significantly, those struggling to manage their gambling and debt levels are at a higher risk, including housing issues and homelessness. The need for debt counseling, gambling support departments, and consumer credit companies to provide a variety of solutions to assist customers is more critical than ever,” stated GamCare.
“Following our series of workshops, we have a comprehensive understanding of best practices in addressing gambling-related debt and the modifications required across departments to support those affected.
“We anticipate collaborating with colleagues in debt counseling, credit, and gambling support departments to implement our recommendations.”
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