TalkBanStop will continue operating for another year, after receiving additional funding from a regulatory settlement approved by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC).

The funding will allow TalkBanStop to provide its services until March 2023, with the initiative having originally been launched as a 12 month pilot programme last year, operated by the triple partnership of Gamcare, Gamban and Gamstop.

All three organisations have detailed that they will continue to look to secure additional long-term funding for the programme, whilst planning to channel the most recent layer of finances towards the provision of free blocking software licences from Gamban and increased marketing of free practical tools and available support.

Anna Hemmings, Chief Executive at GamCare, commented: “TalkBanStop is a partnership that makes enormous sense for anyone harmed by online gambling, and an excellent example of organisations coming together whose services provide an important first step for people wanting to stop gambling. 

“Since the partnership started there has been huge value in pooling our expertise together as organisations, creating an offering that people can use easily and freely to kickstart their recovery.”

Since its launch, Gamban’s blocking software has recorded 7,000 registrations by offering free access, whilst the partnership has also offered trained advisers, signposting to the Gamstop self-exclusion scheme and to layering of tools and support across the websites of all three groups. 

The partnership’s additional goals over the coming year include increasing awareness of the services, sharing of best-practice and working to enhance the offering of free access to the organisation’s support networks.  

In its final review of its three-year strategy, GamCare highlighted the TalkBanStop launch as one of its core achievements, detailing that the programme was promoted to over five million people and over 55% of people leveraging a Gamban blocking licence chose the maximum period of time.

“We have heard from people supported by TalkBanStop how the impact of our interventions, layered together, can amplify the impact for their recovery,” Hemmings continued. “That’s why it’s important there is no break in the free availability of all three layers of support. 

“Going forward, we are looking to continue building on the successes of the past year and work towards our shared aspiration of reducing gambling-related harms.”