GAMSTOP has completed its second annual tour of UK universities freshers’ week as part of its awareness campaign on gambling self-exclusion.
Visiting several campuses across the North of England supporting Ygam and GamCare in Yorkshire and Humber, the GAMSTOP team met with over 600 students and conducted 140 in-depth conversations about gambling habits, how to find support and how to spot and talk about problem gambling with friends and family.
The self-exclusion scheme has previously noted that there has been a 30 per cent uptick in sign-ups amongst 16-24-year-olds in the first half of 2023, showing the value of university roadshows as they introduce students to self-exclusion and provide education on available support channels.
Fiona Palmer, CEO of GAMSTOP, stated: “For the second year running we’ve seen a fantastic response to this collaborative university roadshow.
“We’ve visited a number of campuses alongside Ygam & GamCare Yorkshire and Humber to highlight the support available to students and how best to tackle the topic of problem gambling with their friends and family.
“The GAMSTOP team also conducted several important conversations with students about their own gambling-related issues, providing them with information as well as reaffirming the support channels available to them.”
A report from GAMSTOP and Ygam earlier this year on the extent of gambling within the university students community revealed that more than seven out of 10 had gambled in the previous 12 months and 43 per cent had sometimes bet more than they could afford to lose.
More than one in five students admitted to using their overdraft or a payday loan to help fund their gambling.
GAMSTOP added that it will continue to work alongside Ygam and GamCare as it visits more universities in the new year.
The self-exclusion scheme’s visits to universities come as the UK government opened a consultation for stakeholders to provide responses on the statutory levy for research, education and treatment of gambling addiction.
