GamCare and Northampton Saints team up to raise awareness as gamblers deal with 'Blue Monday'

Northampton Saints has teamed up with a gambling charity to mark 'Blue Monday' with an appeal for people struggling with their gambling to get support, hoping to offer a helpful ray of light on what can be a gloomy day.

The theory goes that the third Monday of January is often our gloomiest day of the year, since most people have given up on their New Years' resolutions by then, are cold and, potentially, worried about their finances after Christmas.

GamCare operates the National Gambling Helpline - a 24 hours a day, seven days a week helpline that people can call for free practical advice, information and support around gambling.

According to them, the grim day can be especially challenging for people who might be struggling with their gambling, as financial concerns potentially push them into chase losses they really cannot afford.

Nicola O’Neill, an East Midlands based practitioner from the GamCare treatment team said: “At GamCare, we know how hard this time of year can be for people struggling with their gambling, particularly on ‘Blue Monday’.

"With more financial pressures off the back of Christmas, coupled with a longer gap between being paid wages, the challenges that many gamblers experience in January can have a significant emotional burden also. It’s important that people feel able to come forward and discuss these issues with people in their own area; we’re here, we’re local and we can help.”

“I have spoken with a wide variety of women and men in the local area, on the phone and face to face, who have been impacted by someone else’s gambling as well as those who have gambled directly.

“Many of the people I have worked with earn good money but they start betting and can’t stop. It’s important to help build people’s self-esteem and confidence after being affected by a gambling problem.

"We want to develop trust and understanding amongst the local people who call on us, working closely with the healthcare system so that more people can be referred for gambling treatment.”

The charity has already helped almost 1,500 people in the East Midlands tackle the emotional and physical side effects of gambling and said they are keen to continue raising awareness of their free services and to emphasise the fact that help is out there.

According to their numbers, more men in the East Midlands come forward and speak to local advisors about their gambling issues (73 percent) compared with women (27 percent).

They also claimed that over a quarter (27 percent) of people seeking help across the region are aged 26 to 35 year olds, underlining how young adults can be susceptible to gambling-related harms.

Northampton Saints has lent their name to the 'Blue Monday' centered awareness campaign, however they hope to release their own material in the coming week around the topic.

GamCare runs free, confidential treatment sessions, online or in-person, for anyone in the East Midlands region, whether from Northampton, Lincoln, Peterborough, Nottingham, and more who might be needing help.

Anyone who would like some support can call the National Gambling Helpline on: 0808 8020 133