The “When The Fun Stops, Stop” responsible gambling message has been the backbone of the fight against gambling addiction in the UK for several years. Now, the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) has launched a new campaign they hope would continue to positively impact society and allow vulnerable players to stay protected.
The BGC is joined by a broad band of UK gambling companies, including bet365, Flutter Entertainment, Betway, Kindred Group, Playtech, Microgaming and others. Funding has been provided also by Entain, William Hill, Gamesys, BetVictor, PlayOJO, Betsson and Betfred.
“Take Time To Think” is not a simple rebranding by the organization and its members, which conducted extensive interviews and obtained data from government representatives, academics, and operators to create a new responsible gambling platform.
The focus in the new campaign shifts from a catchy message to involving players to consider their actions. Another big focus of the campaign is the use of self-exclusion tools and the already existing infrastructure of responsible gambling tools such as time-outs, deposit limits, and more.
Getting the Word Out to Vulnerable Players
The campaign will pivot around a series of TV ads that will focus on reaching demographics that may be at risk of developing a gambling addiction. At the same time, the campaign will serve as an educational exercise to anyone interested in finding out more about how they can protect themselves from developing problematic behavior while playing by utilizing safer gambling tools.
All operators that have backed the program with funding will also do so in practice. Their retail and digital channels will now promote the campaign. Commenting on this initiative, BGC CEO Michael Dugher said, “Millions of people enjoy a flutter and the overwhelming majority does so perfectly safely and responsibly.”
Dugher is confident that the new campaign will make it possible for even more people to stay protected and make conscious choices about reining in the intensify of their gambling habits, enabling them to ultimately control their habits, adding “The efforts BGC members are making to promote safer gambling are in stark contrast to the all too easily available unsafe, unregulated black market online.”
Drawing Praise and Overcoming Old Criticism
The new campaign was welcomed by stakeholders as well, with Entain’s director of corporate affairs, Grainne Hurst, stating that the company’s mission has always been to protect customers and equip them with the tools necessary to enjoy safer gambling.
The “When the Fun Stops, Stop” campaign has not been supported by all. In fact, the now-former UK Liberal Democratic Party MP John Leech lambasted the campaign for failing to provide consumers with the necessary protection.
Back in 2019, Leech argued that the campaign may be linked to a higher incidence of gambling nationwide, a statement that was never backed up by solid evidence.