GambleAware Donations in Q1 and Q2 2020 Exceeded £2M

UK charity GambleAware revealed the amount of donations it received from April to September 2020, in line with its arrangements for transparency. The body which seeks to support the Gambling Commission’s efforts towards reducing gambling harm through voluntary donations from the gambling industry received £2.29 million for Q1 and Q2.

The charity asks all those who profit from gambling in the UK to donate annually at least 0.1% of their annual Gross Gambling Yield (GGY), with a minimum of £250 donation requested from operators which have annual GGY below £250,000.

Largest Donations

The largest single donation for the period was made by Gamesys, after it contributed £450,000 during the first quarter. The online gaming operator was joined in the six-digit realm of donations by only one other company, Betway, which donated £134,000.

Gibraltar-based 888 Holdings contributed with £50,000, Apricot Investments, owner of the Microgaming brand added £40,000, and Videoslots Ltd and Inspired Gaming Group donated £30,000 and £25,000, respectively.

The iGaming subsidiary of Betfred, Petfre Gibraltar, made two separate donations, £35,057 and £26,783, and Casumo Services Ltd also contributed twice, £27,446 and £16,170, while arcade operator Praesepe Holdings donated £28,000 during the period, pledging to donate to GambleAware a total of £85,500.

Pledges to Donate

Praesepe fell significantly short of the operator who topped the pledge donations list, William Hill. The sports betting operator which recently accepted a £2.9 billion takeover bid from US casino giant Caesars Entertainment, pledged to donate to the charity in excess of £1 million.

Under the section of additional donations, which comprise of dormant accounts, unclaimed winnings and other, LeoVegas Gaming Ltd donated £94,328. There was only one other contribution under this section.

The charity reported for the 2019-20 fiscal year ending March 31 £10.1 million in funding received from more than 950 gambling companies. The largest GambleAware donation for the year came from GVC Holdings, which contributed to £1.46 million for the period. Bet365 also made a significant contribution during the previous fiscal year, contributing with £868,000 to help GambleAware reach beyond the £10 million mark.