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Here for everyone affected by gambling

Chapter One provides free, independent information and support for everyone affected by gambling. Guided by lived experience we deliver education, professional training, advice & public health campaigns to prevent and reduce gambling harm.

Chapter One is an information and support hub for everyone affected by gambling, and a training provider for the professionals who support them. We are independent of the gambling industry. Gambling harm prevention and public education are our sole focus. 

Created by people with personal and professional experience of gambling harms, Chapter One brings together the facts on the causes & effects of gambling harms, the protective tools that can help, and the treatment options available. By accessing Chapter One, people know they are not alone, it is not their fault, and that there is help available. 

Who is behind Chapter One

Chapter One started as a partnership between two organisations dedicated to reducing the harm caused by gambling: Gambling with Lives and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority.

After a successful pilot, the programme is now run by GwL Gambling with Lives is a charity founded by families bereaved by gambling-related suicide, working to support those affected and to prevent further deaths.

Together, this partnership brings four kinds of expertise to Chapter One: 

  • Clinical expertise from those who treat gambling harms 

  • Public health expertise from those tackling the causes 

  • Lived experience from people who have been harmed by gambling, and from family members and bereaved relatives 

  • Communications and digital expertise to help the right information reach the right people at the right time 

This combination is what shapes Chapter One. Our information reflects the evidence and the experience of those who understand gambling harms first-hand. 

  • Why Chapter One exists

    For every person experiencing gambling harms, around six others are affected — most often partners, children and close family members. Yet only around 1 in 200 people who would benefit from treatment are accessing it.

    Gambling harms are not a sign of personal weakness. Modern gambling products are built to hold attention and keep people coming back, through design and marketing that reward continued gambling and make it hard to stop. When harm follows, that comes from how the product is designed, not from something wrong with the person.

    Chapter One is independent of the gambling industry. Much of what the public hears about gambling comes from the companies that profit from it, and it tends to point to individual behaviour rather than how products are designed.

    Find Out More

  • There are several reasons for the gap:

    • Information about gambling harms and where to find help is not always easy to find or understand

    • Many people do not connect what they are experiencing — or what they see in someone close to them — with gambling

    • Some forms of gambling carry a higher risk of harm than others, and this is not well understood

    • Stigma stops people asking for help, even when they want to

    Chapter One exists to close this gap. We want to make it easier for people to recognise gambling harms sooner, find the right information faster, and reach the right help in fewer steps.

    Read More on Our Blog

What makes Chapter One different

A fuller picture, based on evidence 

We give people the full picture of how gambling harms happen, including the role of product design, marketing and the wider environment. This shifts the focus away from blame and shame, and towards prevention and recovery. 

Public health at the centre 

Chapter One is built around a public health approach and we are currently partnered with over 40 local authorities. Anyone can experience gambling harms, at any time, from any background. Our information is for everyone, not only those who already identify as being at risk. 

Lived experience at the core 

The voices of people harmed by gambling, and of those bereaved by gambling-related suicide, shape what we say and how we say it. This is not a service designed for people. It is a service designed with them. 

Independent and trusted 

Chapter One is independent of the gambling industry. People who use Chapter One can be confident that the information they find here is impartial and grounded in evidence. 

Our mission and how we deliver it 

Our mission is to reduce the harm caused by gambling. We deliver this through four connected commitments. 

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1. Better access to evidence-based treatment for everyone who needs it 

Not enough people get the help they need

Only 1 in 200 people experiencing gambling harms who would benefit from help are currently accessing treatment. Chapter One makes it easier for people to find out what help is available and how to access it — including free, confidential and remote specialist NHS treatment that is open to anyone in England, and equivalent services across the UK. 

How and Where to Get Help
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2. Information and guidance for the public 

Public information about gambling has tended to focus on individual behaviour rather than on how some gambling products are designed. Chapter One offers clear, evidence-based information for anyone affected by gambling, including: 

  • How modern gambling products are designed 

  • How to recognise the signs of gambling harms in yourself or someone close to you 

  • How to put protective tools in place, such as bank gambling blocks and self-exclusion 

  • Where to find treatment that works 

Find Out More
Three characters illustration - red, cream and orange

3. Evidence-based training and tools for professionals 

Frontline professionals — in health, social care, housing, financial services, criminal justice and beyond — are often the first to come into contact with someone affected by gambling harms. These people are working with adults, children, and young people. Many have not had access to clear, evidence-based training on the subject. 

Through our 'Train the Trainer' offer, Chapter One has trained over 1,000 professionals so far. After our training: 

  • 95% feel confident to start a conversation about gambling 

  • 98% feel confident to support someone experiencing gambling harms 

More for Professionals
"“Prior to this session I was not aware of any help and support groups and networks but now I have this information to share with teams and colleagues.”"
Professional, after Chapter One training

4. Preventative education for young people 

Future generations deserve to be protected from gambling harms. Most children and young people do not know how modern gambling products are designed, the impact of gambling on the developing brain, or where to get help. We are developing preventative education to change this. 

Local authorities, public health teams and integrated care boards across the UK commission Chapter One to deliver gambling harms awareness campaigns and professional training in their areas. If your team is planning a campaign, scoping training, or shaping a wider gambling harms response, see Work with us for details of how we can help.

Lived experience at our core

The voices of people who have been harmed by gambling, and the families of those bereaved by gambling-related suicide, are central to everything Chapter One does. They shape our messaging, the priorities we set, and the support we recommend. 

"I was unaware that support is available, and I struggled to find it. I always felt so alone and that no-one would understand. Once I did find help it changed my life and I started to think about how I can move forward"
David, lived experience of gambling harms

Our Plan for Gambling Harm Prevention

Our plan sets out how we can prevent gambling harm across the UK. It is built on public health principles, shaped by people with lived experience of gambling harm, and developed with London South Bank University.

The plan starts from a clear idea: gambling harm comes from a mix of individual and environmental factors, so preventing it takes action at every level. From national policy to the information in front of each person, these ten points describe the change we want to see, and the society we are working towards: one that understands gambling harm and is united in stopping its causes and effects.

  1. Gambling is reframed as a public health issue, removing shame and stigma. 

  1. National and local decision-makers restrict how harmful gambling products are promoted and sold, and fund prevention, research and treatment. Schools, frontline services, sports clubs and community organisations are trained to spot harm and signpost people to help. 

  1. NHS gambling harms clinics and community support organisations provide evidence-based care that works. 

  1. Health professionals ask about gambling and know what to do if someone needs help. 

  1. Teachers and youth workers are trained to warn about the risks and harms of gambling 

  1. Every child learns about gambling harm and its causes at school. 

  1. Anyone who needs it can find free, confidential information. 

  1. Everyone who gambles knows how to block and ban gambling online and in person. 

  1. Everyone experiencing gambling harm gets quick access to treatment & support. 

Download the Full 10-Point Plan for Gambling Harm Prevention

Find your next step

Chapter One is here for everyone affected by gambling. If you want to learn more about gambling harms, recognise the signs, or find help for yourself or someone close to you, the rest of this site is the place to start. 

  • Find clear information and the right next step, whether you are affected yourself or worried about someone close to you. 

    Get help and information from Chapter One of follow us on Instagram

  • Training, tools and resources for professionals supporting people affected by gambling. 

    Visit the Professionals Hub or follow us on LinkedIn

  • Get in touch with the team at Chapter One — for media, training and partnership enquiries. 

    Get in touch

  • Specialist gambling harms campaigns and professional training, delivered in partnership with local councils, public health teams and integrated care boards across the UK.

    Work with Chapter One

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