The Gamstop Group is uniquely positioned to play a leading role in the national strategy to reduce gambling harms, says its new Chair, Chris Pond.

Mr Pond took over in September from Jenny Watson CBE, who served as Chair for seven years, and paid tribute to her for giving The Gamstop Group “a strong foundation and clear purpose”.

He said there was now an opportunity to build on her legacy at a time of significant change in the industry, with the statutory levy bringing new funding and accountability, and a more evidence-based approach to preventing gambling harm.

Mr Pond said: “The Gamstop Group can play a key role in providing data and insights to inform research and policy and collaborating on prevention initiatives that align with national priorities. This is a moment to deepen our impact and reinforce our commitment to public protection, ensuring self-exclusion remains accessible, effective, and responsive to user needs”.

Mr Pond is highly experienced in financial services and has worked across the public, private and non-profit sectors. He is currently Chair of the Money and Mental Health Advisory Board and the Financial Services Consumer Panel at the Financial Conduct Authority. He has previously chaired the Financial Inclusion Commission, served as the CEO of two national charities and was a Work and Pensions Minister during his eight years as a Member of Parliament. 

He said there was an opportunity for greater collaboration with the financial services industry because firms are increasingly recognising their role in supporting vulnerable customers, including those affected by gambling harms.

“There is scope for data sharing and early intervention, where financial behaviour may signal risk; embedding self-exclusion tools into banking apps and platforms; and joint awareness campaigns to promote responsible gambling and financial wellbeing”.

Mr Pond said an immediate priority would be to strengthen operational integration between GAMSTOP, the national online self-exclusion scheme used by more than 600,000 consumers since its inception in 2018, and MOSES, the self-exclusion scheme for betting shops, to ensure a seamless user experience.

He also wants to increase awareness of self-exclusion tools, especially among vulnerable and under-represented groups, and to build strategic partnerships with regulators, treatment providers and other industry stakeholders.  

GAMSTOP is working with the Gambling Commission to monitor and report illegal operators targeting vulnerable consumers, which has led to the removal of promotional content and websites following cease and desist actions by the regulator. An independent evaluation by Ipsos, found that 8% of users said they had used unlicensed or illegal gambling operators.

Mr Pond wants to build on existing partnership that raise awareness of GAMSTOP, such as the annual Self-Exclusion Day, which took place on September 18^th:  

He said: “Reaching sports audiences is crucial. Football and other sports are closely linked to gambling advertising and sponsorship, and many fans may be at risk or know someone who is. By partnering with clubs and sports organisations, we can raise awareness in high-risk environments and promote positive messages about self-care and support”.

This year’s Self-Exclusion Day was supported by clubs across all four divisions of English football. The headline message was ‘Change the Game’, urging fans who may be experiencing gambling harm to ‘take back control and enjoy the football.’

A total of 29 social media posts went live on the day itself across X, Instagram and Facebook, reaching a combined following of 9.1m. Beyond the social media activity, clubs such as Crystal Palace FC also raised awareness of GAMSTOP’s services through stadium advertising during the game closest to Self-Exclusion Day, as well as inclusion in matchday programmes.