Gambling with Lives launches new gambling education programme

Developed by experts on gambling harm, academics, teachers and people with lived experience of gambling harm, the programme aims to influence the way gambling awareness education is delivered to young people and address the lack of information and help currently available.

The scheme will be piloted at schools in Essex, Manchester, and Northern Ireland before being rolled out across the country.

James Grimes, head of education at Gambling With Lives, said: “What makes this programme unique is that it includes the role of addictive products and predatory marketing in causing harm.

“We can protect the young by giving them information that is unbiased and evidence based – raising awareness of how addiction occurs is better than just waiting for it to develop.

“But education is not enough – we need real change to regulation and enforcement to protect the public.”

Gambling With Lives said the programme is based on published research about education and awareness raising across other products like drugs and tobacco and covers basics about gambling, including understanding odds and risk. It also focuses on how addictive products work and the methods and impact of industry marketing, which sets it apart from programmes delivered by industry-funded charities.