UK National Gambling Helpline to Operate 24 Hours a Day

GamCare charity has announced that the National Gambling Helpline is going to operate 24 hours a day from October 1, 2019. The National Gambling Helpline is operated by GamCare and funded by GambleAware.

The helpline features a live chat and Freephone channel, with trained advisors providing callers with advice on gambling-related problems and connect them with local treatment services.

The 24-hour-a-day service will initially run as a pilot scheme and will likely be extended if this trial proves to be successful.

“With the 24-hour nature of gambling, people sometimes feel at their most isolated overnight, when other support services are closed. They will now be able to reach our highly trained advisers 24 hours a day, who can offer immediate support, advice and referral to our network of treatment services nationally,” GamCare chief executive Anna Hemmings said.

“GambleAware is responsible for commissioning the National Gambling Helpline, which is a core element of an emerging National Gambling Treatment Service. Our priority is to keep people safe and to ensure support services are easily accessible. As such, we are pleased to be funding an extension to the helpline’s operating hours, and we will evaluate its performance over time,” GambleAware chief executive Marc Etches said.