GamCare has laid out plans to provide a safe online environment for women impacted by gambling harm with the launch of a ‘Women’s Chatroom’.
Following its official launch on July 18, the chatroom will provide women seeking guidance around problem gambling for themselves or for loved ones with lived experience support.
The initiatives will look to tackle feelings of guilt and shame associated with gambling issues as it aims to connect, support and enable the sharing of stories between women with similar experiences.
The charity’s National Gambling Helpline assists over 40,000 people on an annual basis, with around 30 per cent of them being women.
GamCare’s new chat room will host semi-structured sessions from 7pm-8pm every Tuesday, running for six weeks with each session taking on a different overarching theme.
Initially, the first session will cover ‘Gambling & The Woman’ and will be followed by ‘Gambling & The Mind’ in week two. Additional planned sessions include ‘Gambling & Relationships’, ‘Gambling & The Self’, ‘Gambling and Recovery’ and ‘Gambling & Letting Go’, in that order.
To register with the chatroom, users must register with a username, email address and first name. Ensuring anonymity and confidentiality for the users sensitive information, only the username will be publicly visible.
GamCare support stated: “We understand it can be challenging to take those first steps to get support with your gambling. We know that you might experience feelings of shame, or guilt. Many other women feel like this, you’re not alone.”