For the newest edition of the APCW Wall of Shame, we dive into the wreckage of the once-mighty U.K. gambling market, where our friends at GambleAware – Great Britain’s independent charity and commissioner of gambling harm education, prevention, and early intervention – are now waving the flag for more “compelling” health warnings on gambling products. Translation: After their previous attempts to curb gambling fell flat, it’s time to crank up the fear factor. GambleAware’s latest hype? A groundbreaking study involving 7,000 individuals revealed that its “Take Time to Think” campaign is about as effective as whispering in a hurricane. Shocking, right? Apparently, it doesn’t quite scare people away from the online slots like they hoped. So, what’s the solution? Replace it with shiny new health warnings, of course! Some of their new ideas for “responsible gambling messaging” include “Gambling Comes At a Cost,” and my personal favorite, “Gambling Can Be Addictive.” Wow, just got a shiver down my spine. Obviously, the creative writing team at GambleAware has been working overtime on those. But wait, there’s more. The report also reveals a shocking discovery: slapping a GambleAware warning at the end of your 30-second gambling ad is apparently the holy grail of harm reduction. Because who better to guide you towards help than the very organization that profits from your addiction? Oh, and one little detail that you might find interesting is that it was actually GambleAware that commissioned this study that led to the call for action. Who needs independent research when you can just make your own results? Seriously, isn’t this the equivalent of commissioning studies on why we need a raise and sending the results to our bosses? After all, why not milk the system for all it’s worth? It’s the classic tale of creating a problem and then conveniently providing the solution. And for that, we are honoring GambleAware by pinning its hind to the APCW Wall of Shame. Welcome to the club! WALL OF SHAME Illustration by OnlyFlags / Shutterstock GPWAtimes.org 68
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