Sunday, September 24, 2006

A service called gamAid that provides instant online help to people with
gambling problems has the green light to go live this month after a
six-month trial. The service has already had more than 55,000 visits and
provided 1,000 one-to-one help session during the first four months of its
trial. With gamAid, online gamblers can find instant, real-time, one-to-one
access to professional help when they feel like they're losing control of
their gambling or if they're interested in learning more about responsible
gambling. "gamAid gives our clients access to help and information that they
may not otherwise receive. Providing easy access to information assists us
greatly in meeting our social obligations," said Sue Harley, compliance
director at Ladbrokes, owner of Ladbrokes Poker. Ladbrokes and Betfair
Poker are just two of several gambling site operators who are already using
gamAid. Sites can make gamAid available to their players by placing an
active button on key pages of their site. Players will be able to click the
button and get instant, direct access to a trained advisor for help. "Online
advice is tailored to a client's needs and includes one-to-one consultations
and information about managing a gambling habit," said Tony Roberts, gamAid
manager. "We also provide online links to support services, forums, and
specialist counseling local to the client in whatever country they live."

Currently, gamAid is the only service that helps gambling sites meet the
demands of the U.K. Gambling Commission, which will implement the changes to
the Gambling Act in 2007. The company is also working with regulators to
provide a best practice use of gamAid to ensure that the gamAid button is
prominently displayed on every operator's site in the future.

"In order to tackle problem gambling, operators must clearly demonstrate
that not only do they operate an honest, fair and informative site, but they
also need to understand that, like anything addictive, preventative measures
must be put in place for when users think things may be getting out of
hand," said Sue Schneider, president and CEO of the River City Group at this
year's Global Interactive Gaming Summit in Canada. "gamAid is able to
provide a wonderful on-line help service for those with a gambling problem."