UK charity GambleAware received £820,000 as voluntary donations from the gambling industry during its first quarter, covering the April-June period, as well as receiving £8.8m towards its work under the terms of various regulatory settlements. 

The group comments that “in order to be transparent in the context of the current voluntary funding arrangements”,  it is publishing details of the latest donations and pledges received from those that derive an income from gambling in Britain.

From January 1, 2020, the UKGC instructed that operators must direct their annual financial contribution for gambling research, prevention and treatment, as required by LCCP SR code 3.1.1, to one or more of the organisations on a specified list.

Aiming to demonstrate to operators how to be compliant with the LCCP requirement to make annual financial contributions to research, prevention and treatment, GambleAware is the only entity that satisfies each of the three subheadings.

Online gaming operator Gamesys Group topped the register during Q1 contributing £450,000, ahead of the second largest donation of £40,000 which came from Apricot Investment, formerly Microgaming Software Systems Limited.

Betfred’s Gibraltar trading subsidiary Petfre added £26,783, followed by BGO Entertainment’s £23,162, MeccaBingo’s £15,600 and SkillOnNet’s £12,000.

In Q1 GambleAware also received £8.8m by the way of regulatory settlements, which is allowing the group to invest in a range of research, prevention and treatment projects over and above those funded by ordinary donations.

GambleAware currently asks all those who profit from gambling in Britain to donate annually a minimum of 0.1 per cent of their annual gross gambling yield, with those who fall below that figure per annum requested to donate a minimum of £250.

Earlier this year GambleAware revealed donations of £10.5m, exceeding a previously stipulated £10m target, for the period ending March 31, 2020.

GVC Holdings topped the list of donations to the charity after contributing £1.46m, followed by Flutter Entertainment and William Hill, which both contributed £1m.