There is a real battle going on for the future of gambling in the UK and, for the first time, it feels like we have a unified body to represent bettors interests in the form of the Gamblers Consumer Forum (GCF).
Previous debates about betting have seen anti-gambling activists pitted against the corporate bookmakers, with every day punters (who make up the majority of bettors!) left without a voice.
This time though it’s much more serious with the deeply flawed measures being proposed by the inept Gambling Commission, a fundamental threat to bettors everywhere.
The GCF, who launched at the recent SmartBash, are different. Led by two experts in Andrew Woodman and Abbie MacGregor with political, scientific and media backgrounds, they have a clear plan to fight back against the proposals set out in the White Paper, namely:
- Calling for a change in culture at the Gambling Commission
- Campaigning for evidence-based treatment for gambling addicts
- Vehemently opposing Affordability Checks
- Getting everyday gamblers’ voices heard by decision makers
- Communicating a positive gambling message to key stakeholders
Find Out More, Donate & Get Involved
You can find out more about the Gamblers Consumer Forum, who they are and what they are doing by visiting their website or by following them on social media @GamblersCForum.
As an independent organisation, the GCF also relies on support from the wider betting community. Sharing their work on social media and donating money for funding are two of the ways to help them represent us and you can find out more about how to do so by visiting this page.
The White Paper and media narrative surrounding gambling make the future of our pastime uncertain, let’s get behind this organisation to fight back!
For those of you interested in learning more, check out the recent SBC Podcast with Andrew Woodman and Abbie McGregor here!).