Responsible Gaming

This Responsible Gambling Policy details how Leeds Hospitals Charity identifies and signposts customers to guidance and support when their gambling has become a problem.  

Leeds Hospitals Charity and its staff will take reasonable steps to identify customers who may be experiencing difficulties with gambling behaviour and signpost them to appropriate guidance and support. 

While most people do gamble within their means, for some gambling can become a problem. 

To help customers to keep control of their gambling and recognise when it has become a problem Leeds Hospitals Charity will provide information on its lottery communications to highlight that they should:

• See gambling as entertaining and not as a way of making money
• Avoid chasing losses
• Only gamble what is affordable
• Keep track of the time and amount spent spend gambling
• Read the game rules
• Know that professional help is available.

If a customer contacts Leeds Hospitals Charity and is concerned that gambling may have taken over their (or someone else's) life, the following prompts will be used by staff to help them identify problem gambling:

• Do you stay away from work to gamble?
• Do you gamble to escape from a boring or unhappy life?
• When gambling and you run out of money, do you feel lost and in despair and need to gamble again as soon as possible?
• Do you gamble until your last penny is gone, even the fare home or the cost of a cup of tea?
• Have you ever lied to cover up the amount of money or time you have spent gambling?
• Have others ever criticised your gambling?
• Have you lost interest in your family, friends or hobbies?
• After losing, do you feel you must try and win back your losses as soon as possible?
• Do arguments, frustrations or disappointments make you want to gamble?
• Is your mental health being affected because of your gambling?

Where a customer answers 'yes' to one or more of these questions they may have a gambling problem and will be advised that if they wish to speak to someone about it, they should contact the National Gambling confidential helpline on 0808 8020 133 or visit the GambleAware website for further information: gambleaware.org