Good Law Project Accuses GambleAware of Spreading Misinformation

The UK Charity Commission is investigating a complaint against GambleAware, accusing the organization of disseminating false information related to gambling harms and suicides. The complaint has been filed by The Good Law Project (GLP), a non-profit led by Will Prochaska, the former strategic director of Gambling with Lives, and may disrupt GambleAware’s status as the UK’s leading charity.

GambleAware Allegedly Misrepresented Key Issues

The Good Law Project aims to use legal avenues for positive change, focusing on exposing and helping address deficiencies within the UK government. The organization has spearheaded several successful initiatives, helping uncover controversial government practices, and was a key player in exposing the Partygate scandal, which rocked the country during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

A letter by The Good Law Project to the UK Charity Commission accuses GambleAware of siding with an industry that preys on the public. The complaint is critical of the charity’s ‘Bet Regret’ nationwide campaign, which has faced criticism for allegedly implying that gamblers are personally to blame for their losses, deflecting attention from the role of aggressive advertising and harmful products.

Instead of helping people to stop gambling, the charity blames the people it should help and advises them to gamble “responsibly.

Good Law Project statement

Annie Ashton, the widow of a former gambling addict who took his own life, supported GLP’s initiative, highlighting how current gambling harm protection measures were inadequate. The organization pledged to help spread the truth about the gambling industry, pointing out how the UK suffers between 117 and 496 gambling-related suicides every year.

Failure to Investigate Could Lead to Legal Action

GLP urged the Charity Commission to investigate whether GambleAware is violating charity laws by failing to provide unbiased information. The organization contends that  GambleAware spreads a false narrative that frames gambling harm as an individual problem rather than an issue with the industry, which could exacerbate gambling-related stigma and prevent victims from seeking timely help.

Charities are supposed to help people in need, not serve industry interests, and they are supposed to present information on controversial subjects without bias.

Good Law Project statement

The outcome of this investigation is crucial, as British charities await the conclusion of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport’s (DCMS) consultation on the structure of the mandatory levy funding for problem-gambling research, education, and treatment organizations. Last summer, the National Health Service took central control of the £100 million levy, replacing GambleAware as chief commissioner of funding.

The GLP has stated it is prepared to take legal action if the Charity Commission refuses to act. Its complaint adds to the ongoing debate surrounding the role of industry funding and its impact on tackling problem gambling in the UK. If the GLP’s accusations are proven correct, it would substantially undermine GambleAware’s position as one of the supporting pillars of the UK gambling sector.