The outgoing Chair of Gamstop reports that 1% of UK adults have self-excluded from a gambling website.

Summary

• Jenny Watson highlights the organization's remarkable achievements.
• Over 75% of individuals who sign up with Gamstop cease gambling.
• Gamstop plans to expand its operations further.

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Gamstop’s Chair, Jenny Watson CBE, is preparing to depart from the organization. She wrote a statement for the annual report of the industry scheme, which examined significant trends in responsible gaming and problem gambling.

Watson is one of Gamstop’s most experienced insiders

Watson, who has been the Chair of Gamstop since 2018, is set to step down from her role in September. She reflected on the

the organization has undertaken to become a significant part of the gambling industry, emphasizing its role in establishing necessary safeguards for consumer safety. She highlighted that hundreds of thousands of gamblers, particularly those at risk and vulnerable to gambling-related harm, have used Gamstop to exclude themselves from licensed gambling websites. Since its launch in 2018, more than 560,000 individuals have registered with this industry initiative, recognizing it as a powerful and reliable tool for managing their gambling habits. This figure represents approximately 1% of the UK adult population, as Watson noted in a report. Watson stated. She further explained that Gamstop's success isn't only reflected in the number of registrations but also in the transformative impact it has had on many of its users. she added. Watson believes that Gamstop is not merely a local initiative but is also recognized globally as a leading technology provider focused on minimizing gambling-related harm. She pointed out the program's effectiveness, referencing a 2024 audit that revealed 75% of Gamstop users have stopped gambling, with 78% expressing satisfaction with the program’s outcomes. Meanwhile, Gamstop has begun the recruitment process for Watson's successor, with the job listing available on Starfish Search, a recruitment platform.

New Gamstop chair must be completely independent from the industry

The job listing explicitly requires potential candidates to maintain complete independence from the gambling industry, highlighting the organization's commitment to supporting those in need without compromising its ethical standards.

according to the job posting. Meanwhile, GAMSTOP is expected to continue its operations on a larger scale, thanks to a decision by the UK government to implement a statutory levy on gambling operators' gross gaming revenue. This levy will fund research and harm-prevention efforts, with GAMSTOP likely being one of the primary beneficiaries.