Football League clubs have their say as Safer Gambling Week kicks off
Morecambe and Preston North End partner up with GAMSTOP to raise awareness of self-exclusion register
Morecambe FC and Preston North End have partnered up with GAMSTOP to mark Safer Gambling Week which takes place from 1 November.
The partnership will witness both clubs raising awareness of the tools and resources available to those who wish to self-exclude from online gambling.
Elsewhere in the English Football League (EFL), Tranmere Rovers chairman Mark Palios said football has become ‘addicted’ to gambling revenue and the sport must change its relationship with betting.
“You can replace the income from gambling sponsors, you may have to work a little bit harder as the game has become addicted to gambling revenues,” he told Sky Sports.
“And that in itself is a bit of a lazy stance, but you can actually get the right sponsor.
“The real issue here is that the game itself has to wean itself off that relationship from gambling which has grown over the course of the last 20 years,” he added.
More than 240,000 people from across the UK are registered with GAMSTOP, which also works closely with gambling charities.
Those who register with GAMSTOP can select a self-exclusion period of six months, one year or five years.
Anyone who contacts the service is referred to specialist advisers if they, or a loved one, need additional help and support with gambling-related issues.
“We are committed to raising awareness and offering our support to a wide range of initiatives and charitable work over the course of the season,” said Ben Sadler, general manager of Morecambe FC.
“As it is Safer Gambling Week, we are pleased to be working with GAMSTOP to promote their free help service, in the hope that anyone associated with our club who may not be aware of their work, and how they can help individuals with a gambling addiction, is pointed in the right direction for support,” Sadler added.
“Gambling-related harm affects people of all ages, genders, and walks of life, and Preston North End and Morecambe are playing a crucial role in spreading the message of how GAMSTOP can provide a safety net to those people,” said Fiona Palmer, chief executive of GAMSTOP.