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Let's Open Up About Gambling

Also: GambleAware stigma reduction campaign

GambleAware's national stigma reduction campaign (2023-2024) telling people that gambling harms can affect anyone and urging those affected to talk to someone, with signposting to the National Gambling Helpline; bursts in early 2023 and November 2023 - February 2024, plus regional activations such as a smoke-filled billboard in Birmingham.

Years
2023–2024
Country
United Kingdom
Budget
Second burst (21 Nov 2023 - 25 Feb 2024): total spend around GBP 4.1 million, including GBP 1.3 million of donated media (GambleAware evaluation).
Topic
Gambling
Asks people to
Reduce stigmaSeek helpTalk to someone
Strategy
Service linkStigma reductionTestimonial
Channel
OutdoorRadioSocial (paid)TVWebsite
Audience
AdultsYoung adults
Behaviour change audience: adults aged 18-44 scoring 3+ on the PGSI; the second burst added assets for Black and Asian communities, who had higher rates of PGSI 1+.

Evidence

Self-reportedUnknown

Sponsor-commissioned Ipsos campaign monitoring (pre/post surveys): about 95% total reach among adults in the second burst; 94% of the target audience who recognised the campaign said they took an action, most often cutting down or stopping gambling; more conversations, helpline and website traffic reported, but 'societal stigma remains high'. An independent online experiment (Newall 2025, N=2,741) found a GambleAware stigma reduction advert lowered gambling urges relative to a neutral control.

Sponsor (who paid)

Credits (who made it)

  • Lucky Generals Creative, 2023-2024 source
  • Ipsos UK Research evaluation, 2023-2024 source

Related campaigns

Sources

  1. Let's Open Up About Gambling: stigma reduction campaign evaluation (GambleAware, November 2024) evaluation · 2024
  2. 'Let's Open Up About Gambling' stigma evaluation, November 2023 to February 2024 burst (GambleAware PDF) evaluation · 2024
  3. Newall P, Weiss-Cohen L, Torrance J, Bart Y. Not always as advertised: Different effects from viewing safer gambling (harm prevention) adverts on gambling urges. Addict Behav 2025 evaluation · 2025 · DOI 10.1016/j.addbeh.2024.108161 · PMID 39260116

Research notes

Drafted by Claude (Claude Code) on 2026-10-28 for #130 from the sources listed; unreviewed, including the cardSummary. First burst ran in early 2023 (trade press reported an April 2023 unveiling); the evaluation PDF dates the second burst from 21 Nov 2023. The Birmingham special-build billboard ran 6-11 (month to check, 2024) and the evaluation reports an 8% website uplift that week. Figures (reach 95%, 94% took action, 64% never spoke to anyone, spend) are GambleAware's own and should be checked against the PDF before quoting. A 2024 Westfield London installation of 85,000 poker chips (children harmed by gambling) was reported in trade press; not checked.

Record cases/gb-gambleaware-lets-open-up-about-gambling.json, updated 2026-10-28· Link to this campaign