A press release from the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC), the United Kingdom’s gambling standards body, has revealed an increase in the use of safer gambling tools during the nation’s Safer Gambling Week in 2023.

SG Week 2023 Nov. 13-19 and was the seventh edition of the annual initiative, jointly run by the BGC, British Amusement Catering Trade Association and the Bingo Association.

The figures revealed that last year’s initiative saw an 18 percent increase in the number of deposit limits set compared to 2022, with 54 percent of these players setting deposit limits for the first time. For the second year running, the number of players setting reality checks increased by more than 300 percent.

“These new figures show Safer Gambling Week continues to be a powerful advert for increasing use of safer gambling tools in the regulated industry,” said Michael Dugher, CEO and acting chair of the BGC. “Millions of customers now use safer gambling tools including deposit limits and time outs. This is a pillar of the regulated industry and is in marked contrast to the unsafe, unregulated and growing online gambling black market, which provides no safer gambling support, contributes zero tax and does not support sport.”

The BGC said that the campaign received significant support from politicians across different parties, including Gambling Minister Stuart Andrew, Shadow Gambling Minister Stephanie Peacock and the UKGC’s CEO Andrew Rhodes.

SG Week 2023 also saw half a million visits to its website and achieved a stronger social media presence compared to previous years, with more than 50 million impressions across X, Instagram and Facebook. Safer Gambling Week 2024 will be Nov. 18-24.

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