Gambling Charity Offers Dedicated Chatroom Session for People in the Criminal Justice System

National gambling support charity GamCare is offering a dedicated hour-long online chatroom session for those in contact with the Criminal Justice System (CJS) impacted by gambling harms on Tuesday 7th July from 3pm.

GamCare operates the National Gambling Helpline, providing information, advice and support for anyone affected by gambling problems, alongside providing a range of free support and treatment across England, Scotland and Wales.

The charity provides daily chatroom sessions for people affected by gambling harms via their website, giving users a space to connect with peers, share their experiences and support one another with help from a moderator if needed. 

GamCare is now offering a dedicated hour-long session for those in contact with the CJS to connect with each other, as well as the chance to seek advice from their specialist team working with police, prisons and probation services.

Eartha Heptinstall, CJS Project Officer at GamCare, says: “We know that there is generally a higher number of people affected by gambling harms within the CJS than in the general population. Studies have also indicated that the more complex, prolonged and persistent a gambling problem is, the more likely it is that a crime will be committed and, indeed, that many crimes may result. If a gambling problem remains unaddressed, rehabilitative work in other areas of an individual’s life is not likely to be successful.

GamCare and our partners provide a range of support across the CJS, and we’re running this chatroom to give those in contact with the CJS a safe space to connect with one another and to seek specific advice if they have burning questions they may not be able to address anywhere else. GamCare chatrooms are confidential spaces and can provide a vital channel for peer support in recovery, and our team are also on hand to give additional advice if needed.”

Those who wish to join the chatroom will need to register via the GamCare website beforehand.

GamCare have also created a dedicated online Forum for those affected by gambling harms across the CJS, whether they are gamblers themselves or have been affected by someone else’s gambling.

For more information visit www.gamcare.org.uk

ENDS

For more information contact Catherine Sweet, GamCare Head of Marketing and Communications:
catherine.sweet@gamcare.org.uk / 020 7801 7000.

GamCare – Working to minimise gambling-related harm

• GamCare operates the National Gambling Helpline on Freephone 0808 8020 133 or via web chat at www.gamcare.org.uk, providing information, advice and support for anyone affected by problem gambling, funded by GambleAware. Advisers are available 24/7, every day of the year.
• GamCare also provides a range of free treatment (face to face, online or over the phone) for anyone affected by problem gambling across England, Scotland and Wales, funded by GambleAware, as well as Forum and daily chatrooms so that people can speak to others experiencing similar issues and seek support. Find out more at www.gamcare.org.uk
• GamCare’s organisational strategy is available to download at www.gamcare.org.uk/publications, along with their latest Annual Review and Statistics.
• GamCare’s work across the criminal justice system (CJS) indicates that there is likely to be a higher prevalence of gambling problems and gambling-related harms within the CJS that within the general population, and that at least 10% of the prison population may need support in relation to their gambling.
• In a recent report to the Howard League Commission on Crime and Problem Gambling, GamCare called for a whole-system approach to tackling gambling-related harms, incorporating police, prisons and probation services, with a specialist national funding model to support this. GamCare’s report can be viewed at https://www.gamcare.org.uk/our-work/our-programmes/working-with-the-criminal-justice-system/
• Find out more about the Howard League Commission on Crime and Problem Gambling at https://howardleague.org/commission-on-crime-and-problem-gambling/