Rigbye was speaking as part of a Parliamentary Reception during which she advised MPs to tread carefully and to ensure that the White Paper, which will set out the conditions for the reregulation of the gambling market in the United Kingdom, meets certain industry and player-protection standards. Education plays a crucial role for YGAM in furthering any talk on the gambling industry.
Educating Young Adults for More Resilient Future
Rigbye has insisted that the government should raise awareness for problem gambling and address it as a public health issue. To help keep destructive habits at bay, Rigbye said that more education is needed so that consumers and vulnerable groups are resilient to the underlying issue that is problem gambling. Presently, GamCare and YGAM have been successful in developing programs that have had a largely-felt impact, including the Young People’s Gambling Harm Prevention Program which is expected to reach 2 million young people.
That is why preventative education should play a bigger role in the debate. Another matter she broached was the lack of sufficient awareness of treatment options, which means that even when some people want to address the problem, they are unaware that the options exist.
Rigbye further said that YGAM’s Digital Futures has allowed the organization to better navigate the rapidly-changing gambling market and environment in the United Kingdom, and enabled the charity to respond to young people’s concerns and how they experience the digital world. More work needs to be done, Rigbye outlined and said:
We will be establishing advisory panels, hearing directly from both young people and those working in the gaming and gambling sectors to understand new and emerging issues; using this knowledge in creative ways and harnessing digital technology to empower others to prevent future harms.
YGAM chief executive Dr Jane Rigbye
Making Sure Digital Challenges Are Understood
As the debate for the country’s gambling reregulation (long delayed now) rages on, YGAM is also seeking to diversify its funding model so as to ensure that it is independent and a force for good in the sector. The future, YGAM argued, will be about redrawing gambling regulations in a way that the resulting Gambling Act is adequately modernized to meet the needs of consumers who are mostly turning to digital channels of entertainment.
YGAM is also an official ambassador for ICE London 2023 which is due to take place on February 7-9.