Is UK gambling harm policy distancing itself from the industry?

The commissioner responsible for preventing gambling harms, OHID, has instructed the gambling charities it funds to boycott Safer Gambling Week, which runs from 16 to 22 November. The leaked emails were first reported by EGR.

Safer Gambling Week is an awareness campaign led by the industry and organised by bodies such as the British Gaming Council. OHID argued that the event is not independent of the sector. It also said the campaign's messages focus on individual responsibility and responsible gambling, which it considers at odds with a public health approach.

In response, the Gambling Commission told NEXT.io that it would support the event. However, it did not answer whether it opposes messaging centred on individual responsibility.

Some experts argue that placing all responsibility on the sector alone is also problematic and could strip at-risk gamblers of their agency. A charity source said that the industry's product design and marketing should be discussed too, but that prevention is not just about attacking the sector. According to the source, most organisations take a middle position and describe the full picture, and this approach is supported by evidence.