New pilot project is announced by the British gambling charity, GambleAware. Pilot project is for a residential rehabilitation program for those suffering from gambling disorders. It has issued an invitation to tender for the service. GambleAware is an independent charity tasked to fund research, education and treatment services to help to reduce gambling harms in Great Britain. GambleAware is a commissioning and grant-making body, not a provider of services.
GambleAware said that it knows there are gaps in the existing system when it comes to residential care. All of the company’s findings and research were also backed up by the Treatment Needs and Gap Analysis, and also GambleAware’s Annual Statistics for the National Gambling Treatment Service.
The new pilot project seeks to fill some of these gaps and will come at a cost of £1 million. This will take place over a three-year period. It is hoping that funding will come from a qualified organization that can provide rehabilitation for adults. One of the targets is to put an emphasis on those suffering from gambling disorders and specifically those with co-morbid alcohol or substance abuse disorders as well.
Companies that put themselves forward will be asked to show that they are competent when it comes to dealing with gambling disorders. GambleAware held an event on Friday 18th June in order to screen proposals. The event provided bidders with a chance to ask questions about the project and raise any issues that they may have. For those who were unable to attend the event, a list of FAQs was be added to the GambleAware website afterward. After this, the closing dates for submissions will be July 16th.
With the number of people gambling online increasing in the UK over the past 12 months, GambleAware has been upping its games to try and curb any issues. One of its more recent projects was the launch of an interactive map of the UK. This map would identify areas that had an increased likelihood of gambling disorders.
Many of these steps are being taken following the charity’s annual treatment and support survey. The results of this survey were positive, showing that 63% of problem gamblers were seeking help and support last year. This is an increase from 54% in the 2019 survey. As a result of this growing demand, the charity is hoping to take more steps to help fulfill these needs.