GREaT Foundation meets target

Meeting the UK government's fundraising target this year ought to encourage a bigger contribution from the gambling industry in the years to come, a director at The GREaT Foundation has claimed.

Following their end of year board meeting, the trustees of the UK gambling charity announced that they have achieved the £5m fundraising target that was set by the government and the Responsible Gambling Strategy Board for the financial year 2009/10.

Despite the industry fulfilling its promise to the government, just over one-third of those holding gambling licences made a donation to the foundation in 2009/10. Geoffrey Godbold, OBE, director of The GREaT Foundation, told InterGaming that he hopes this achievement will encourage others connected to the gambling industry to contribute to the research and treatment of problem gambling.

"We’re hoping that as we’ve raised £5m those within the industry that did not contribute will see that it’s not a hopeless cause and it can be done," he said. "It’s in the best interest of the industry to avoid the question of a mandatory levy so I hope in the future it will be viewed as the ‘in thing to do’."

A change of government in the UK may create a certain degree of uncertainty over the future of both the present voluntary funding system and the delivery of treatment programmes, yet Godbold believes it also presents a new opportunity for the industry to demonstrate its commitment to the cause.

"Of course with a new government there is an idea that it is a fresh start," he said. "The industry wants to be seen to be responsible."

Each sector within the gambling industry, he said, has lobbied and worked with the government in the past but the emphasis must now be on ensuring the industry as a whole works together and does not project an image of being "at loggerheads with each other".

"We’ve been fundraising for 10 months and in that time have raised £5m. There are plenty of areas to persuade people to contribute a bit more.

"We’ve made it very obvious that the money is being used wisely but maybe there will be a point where a different way of providing treatment and support, through the NHS for example, may be pursued. From our point of view, a radical change would be the introduction of a levy and it’s pretty clear that the industry does not want that."