The charity GamCare has shown its support for the Money & Pensions Services (MaPS) #TalkMoney campaign as part of the Talk Money Week. This encourages the public to speak openly about their personal finances.
Running from the 9th to the 13th of November, the #TalkMoney campaign was designed to bring awareness to certain aspects of problem gambling. It was encouraged for members of the public to open conversations about their personal finances, especially in regards to debit and credit cards and other areas.
Alongside these goals, GamCare worked to promote financial wellbeing as a key part of the recovery process for gambling addicts.
They have discovered that there is a tendency for at-risk or particularly vulnerable consumers to feel particularly anxious when speaking to their banks about matters related to gambling. This stigma means that they are less likely to find out about some of their options if they are in debt, and the advice that they can take for their next steps.
Many UK banks have installed gambling blocks to help customers restrict transactions related to gambling. However, GamCare wants to take it one step further and introduce customer service protocols that can act as a critical intervention if necessary.
Online banks such as Monzo have already started to improve their customer service in this way. This should help anyone struggling with problem gambling find the financial support they need.
This often one of the first steps that needs to be taken towards financial recovery, and GamCare are determined to see adequate help and protection put in place.
