Take action
Across Yorkshire and the Humber we want to expose highlight how we are drawn in and encouraged to gamble despite the potential harms. Gambling is often a hidden issue, but we want people to take action and talk openly about gambling harms.
Contact your MP
Writing to your MP is an effective way to let them know that you’re not happy about the scale of the problem, the addictive nature of gambling products and the tactics used to get us spending. Your MP is elected to represent you in Parliament and they have the power to effect legislative change.
If you don’t know who your MP is, follow the link below and enter your postcode.
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Download our letter template
Try to make it as personal as possible, make your MP listen by telling them why you’re so upset about the scale of the problem, the addictive nature of gambling products and the tactics used to get us spending.
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Find out who your MP is
If you don’t know your MP you can enter your postcode to find your MP’s contact details.
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Email them your letter
Send your letter to your MP, ask them to send you a response and if you don’t hear back after a couple of weeks send the email again.
Talk about it
If we become addicted to gambling, or if gambling begins to affect our lives, we are told that this is our fault. We are told that we have lost control. This rhetoric is supported by well-known slogans that say things like “gamble responsibly” or “when the fun stops stop”. These slogans lay the responsibility at our feet, with no mention of the products designed to keep us hooked. We may feel shame or stigma, and we may worry about how people will react. This can make it nearly impossible to open up and talk about our experiences.
Talking about gambling, the harms and the risks with friends and family members will begin to lift the lid on the real risks of gambling products and how they are sold and promoted to us.
Here are some tips and conversation starters.
Avoid saying anything that may come across as confrontational or make them feel they are to blame. Don’t just focus on money lost – gambling harm affects people, not just finances – aim to be supportive.
Explain how you feel and let them know that the gambling products and the sales tactics used are all part of the problem. Be aware that it might take more than one conversation and don’t tell them what to do.
Resources to share
Burst 1
Join the Gambling Understood campaign by downloading a suite of resources including posters, digital screens, web banners, digital screens and social media graphics to share across your network.
Burst 1 of the campaign focuses on increasing everyone’s knowledge about the current context of gambling environments and products. You can watch the burst 1 video here.
We suggest running burst 1 of the campaign for 6 months before moving on to burst 2 .
Download
Burst 2
Once you’ve shared Burst 1 resources you can continue the campaign by downloading more resources to share.
You can watch the burst 2 video here. During this phase we want to increase the understanding of potential signs of harm to look out for and increase knowledge of where people can go if they are worried or concerned about gambling (their own or of others).
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