Swansea City is the latest football club to announce a responsible gambling partnership.
Swansea City FC has announced a “trailblazing” partnership with the gambling harm reduction charity, Big Step.
The Big Step is a football-focused gambling education programme, which is also part of the “Gambling With Lives” charity.
This comes after Southampton FC announced it would be supporting the rollout of an app called RecoverMe which aims to help people manage their gambling habits.
Swansea City and Big Step
The partnership will see Big Step work with the football club to raise awareness of the risks that come with betting on sports and compulsive behaviours.
The Gambling Harms Prevention programme, will be delivered by Nick Phillips a Swansea City fan and recovering gambling addict.
The scheme has also received the support of Swansea City Supporters Trust, Swansea City Community Trust and has been positively received by local MP Carolyn Harris.
Phillips said: “I would like to thank the club and the supporters’ trust in giving us the opportunity to talk about gambling and, in particular, the harms that are attached with it. As a lifelong fan of the club, I am excited about this education project and believe it will have a significant positive impact amongst the fans and the local community.”
James Grimes, senior programme manager at Gambling with Lives and Founder of The Big Step, added: “I am so proud to announce our partnership with Swansea City, whose community scheme is renowned for improving lives.
“As a recovering gambling addict, I am passionate about preventing young people going through the same thing that I did. During 12 years of addiction, football failed to provide adequate warnings or the help that I so desperately needed.
“This partnership will show how football can be a positive social vehicle in preventing and reducing gambling harms in its community through our education, awareness and signposting work.”
Head of Commercial at Swansea City, Rebecca Edwards-Symmons added: “We are delighted to be able to lend our full support to the fine work of The Big Step.
“At Swansea City, our supporters and their welfare are at the centre of our values, so we were quick to pledge our backing to this project, which can help the lives of not just individuals, but their families and friends too.
Another responsible gambling move for Swansea
This partnership with Big Step marks the team’s latest responsible gambling effort.
In August, the team announced it would be dropping its primary shirt sponsor, YoBet, from the front of its kit. In place of the gambling brand, the team entered a new shirt sponsorship agreement with Swansea University, so it would no longer promote a gambling operator.
The team’s decision was praised and even received the support of local MP Carolyn Harris.
