SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
UK highstreet bank NatWest (RBS Group) has confirmed that it will expand its ‘pilot scheme’ to provide gambling counselling support across its UK network.
Working in collaboration with GamCare, NatWest launched its gambling-related ‘walk-in consultation’ last year across 13-branches operating in the South East and Midlands.
Launching the Scheme in 2019, NatWest management stated that the bank had a duty to help UK health services and local communities tackling problem gambling issues.
Following the successful trial of walk-in consultations, RBS Chief Executive Alison Rose confirmed that the ‘pilot programme would be expanded’ as a key NatWest initiative for 2020.
Rose praised GamCare’s support and training stating that the scheme had ‘delivered real benefits for users of the service’. In addition, RBS Chief underlined that the 13 test branches had fulfilled the scheme’s mandate of becoming a ‘first point of contact’ for gambling support treatment.
NatWest management will continue to work with GamCare, considering how to best expand the scheme across its 850 UK highstreet bank network.
Working with GamCare’s treatment unit, NatWest’s walk-in consultations are unrestricted and made available to the public.
Former DCMS Secretary Nicky Morgan had praised the scheme, urging other UK banks to follow NatWest’s lead in developing ‘socially aware collaborations’ tackling problem gambling, in which Morgan regards banks as a key community stakeholder.
