John Bollom Highlights YGAM Contributions as Safer Gambling Charity Celebrates 10th Year

As Bacta celebrates its 50th year, President John Bollom has expressed the trade association’s admiration and congratulations to safer gambling charity YGAM which is also marking a milestone anniversary in 2024.

YGAM, the award-winning charity which was founded by Lee Willows in 2014 with a mission to use education as a tool to raise awareness and help safeguard against gaming and gambling harms, has made a key contribution to the safer gambling debate delivering numerous projects many of which have been supported by Bacta members.

Heralding YGAM’s impact John Bollom noted: “After YGAM was founded by Lee Willows, Anne and Keith Evans joined the fledgling organisation in 2016 following the tragedy of their son Alan Lockhart’s suicide after years of gambling addiction. YGAM quickly became a powerful agency for change working in partnership with a broad church of stakeholders including Bacta and many of our members.

“As chief executive of YGAM Lee was instrumental in engaging with the industry and demonstrating how it was possible to work in partnership without fear of compromising on core principles.

“YGAM’s success can be measured both culturally and in terms of what it has delivered.

“Since 2014 its portfolio of evidence-based programmes has reached over 3-million children and young people. In addition 17,000 delegates have been trained by YGAM including more than 11,000 teachers.

“It’s this contribution which has earned it the respect and admiration of stakeholders including Parliamentarians, academics and the low stake land-based gambling entertainment sector represented by Bacta.”