TalkBanStop Program Extended by a Year

TalkBanStop, a program formed through a partnership between GamCare, Gamban, and GAMSTOP, has received funding for a further year to provide free tools and support for those who struggle with gambling addiction.

It was initially a 12-month pilot program, but it has been extended until March 2023 with funding from a regulatory settlement approved by the UK Gambling Commission. Since its launch, the program has contributed to more than 7000 registrations of Gamban’s blocking software.

The funds will partially be used to provide free blocking software licenses from Gamban and also to increase the marketing of free practical tools and support. The organizations are also looking to secure long-term funding for the project.

TalkBanStop provides a combination of personal support through GamCare’s advisers together with free access to Gamban blocking software and directions towards the GAMSTOP self-exclusion scheme. It also highlights the tools and support offered by all three organizations’ websites.

Last year research conducted by Ipsos Mori found that people who had made use of all the support offered by TalkBanStop reported a reduction of gambling-related harms, and many found that the tools helped reduce their desire to gamble and increased their motivation to stop gambling.

Anna Hemmings - Chief Executive at GamCare

TalkBanStop is a partnership that makes enormous sense for anyone harmed by online gambling and an excellent example of organizations coming together whose services provide an important first step for people wanting to stop gambling. Since the partnership started, there has been huge value in pooling our expertise together as organizations, creating an offering that people can use easily and freely to kickstart their recovery.

We have heard from people supported by TalkBanStop how the impact of our interventions, layered together, can amplify the impact on their recovery. That’s why it’s important there is no break in the free availability of all three layers of support. Going forward, we are looking to continue building on the successes of the past year and work towards our shared aspiration of reducing gambling-related harms.

Anna HemmingsChief Executive at GamCare