As the Responsible Gambling Week gets underway, more business leaders and regulators are encouraging people to practice responsible gambling. The latest appeal comes from the Irish Greyhound Board

Responsible Gambling Week with the Greyhounds

The Irish Greyhound Board (IGB) has made an official statement in which the body advised customers to bet responsibly and not get carried away. The statement coincided with the beginning of the Responsible Gambling Week 2018 and the stepping-down of British Sports Minister Tracey Crouch over a failure to agree on a deadline for the Fixed-Odds Betting Terminals (FOBTs).

Estimated 6,000 customers along with 300 staff members located at 16 tracks nationwide are part of the responsible week that will be coming to an end on Wednesday, October 7. The IGB is not alone in this undertaking, having pooled forces with the Irish Greyhound Board joining the Irish Bookmakers Association along with other prominent sports bodies, including English Football League clubs that were seen as proponents of the initiative.

According to IGB Director Joe Lewins the organization was thrilled to support the event and raise awareness about the problems that are often glossed over in the industry. He described it as a “worthwhile initiative” and mentioned that everyone onboard with it is encouraged to also pay attention to their spending habits when betting on greyhounds.

Tracking one’s budget, Mr. Lewins argued, was essential to never falling in the common pitfall of reckless gambling. He said that moderation was key. A similar appeal came from IGB CEO Gerard Dollard who not only agreed with his colleague, but also wanted to point out that if a person had already fallen victim to this type of gambling, there were measures that can be taken.

He continued by adding that the tools to fight addiction were already out there and what was needed was more awareness so that problem gamblers know about them. IGB is also developing a plan for the period 2018-2022, which will help it highlight responsibility, which is in the core of all that the organization does, Mr. Dollard concluded.

Gambling Responsibly around the World

The announcement coincided with another flagship event from across the world. The Melbourne Cup hit on November 1 and the government used official channels to caution gamers that they should also be careful about the way they spend their money, advising them to seek help if they see themselves overspending.

Australia is one of the countries where wagers could go down at AUS$1,000 without people batting an eyelash before making the substantial investment. The country has the largest gambling population per capita and the problems that originate thereof.

While the government is trying to prevent gambling from spreading, a slew of online operators is boldly entering the country, although illegally. Meanwhile, alternative ways to wager, including Bitcoin are gaining traction, making it difficult for the country’s integrity officers to keep track of the nature of the wagers and be able to investigate potential match fixing issues and complications.

As the world continues to embrace gambling, more should be done to protect the most vulnerable gamers.