Press Release

Awareness is the key to gambling responsibly

THE gambling industry has declared today Responsible Gambling Awareness Day. This is to highlight the importance of gambling responsibly and raise the profile of the help and services available to anyone who thinks they might have a gambling problem.

The day also seeks to highlight the role of organisations such as Gamcare, Gordon House and The Gambling Research, Education and Treatment Foundation (The GREaT Foundation) in raising funds and providing support for problem gambling services.

The day is coinciding with Gamcare's annual conference and is being supported by gambling operators with some of the industry's biggest names, including Betfair, amongst those undertaking awareness raising activities.

Gerry Sutcliffe, Minister for Sport, said: "I am really pleased that the industry is holding a Responsible Gambling Awareness Day. This is a fantastic idea and shows how the industry is taking initiative to promote responsible gambling and the importance of funding the treatment of problem gambling. I am sure the day will help raise awareness and spread this message to consumers and operators, and I hope to see the event return next year."

Betfair Managing Director Mark Davies said: "Betfair is glad to be able to support Responsible Gambling Awareness Day to promote understanding of an issue which we think about 365 days of the year. For the small minority of people who may need to seek help at any point in their lives we make sure that they have the tools, advice and support they need to overcome a problem gambling issue."

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About Betfair: (www.betfair.com)
Betfair is the world's biggest online betting community and pioneered the first successful betting exchange in 2000. Driven by cutting-edge technology, Betfair enables customers to choose their own odds and bet even after the event has started. The company now processes over six million transactions a day from its two million registered customers around the world. In addition to sports betting, Betfair offers a portfolio of innovative products including casino, exchange games and poker.

Betfair has twice been named the UK's ‘Company of the Year' by the Confederation of British Industry and remains one of the only betting companies to win a Queen's Award for Enterprise, being recognised for Innovation in 2003 and most recently for International Trade in 2008.

Betfair currently employs over 1,500 people, principally in London, Malta and Tasmania. The company is a licensed betting operator in the UK, and holds licenses in Australia, Germany, Austria, Italy and Malta.

About Betfair: (www.rga.eu.com)
The RGA represents the world's largest licensed and stock market-listed remote gambling companies and provides the industry with a single voice on all the issues of importance to regulators, legislators, and key decision makers around the world.

About Betfair: (www.thegreatfoundation.org.uk)
The Gambling Research, Education and Treatment Foundation (The GREaT Foundation) was previously known as The Responsibility in Gambling Trust. The GREaT Foundation is committed to raising industry-funding of £5 million in 2009/10 to go towards the research, education and treatment of problem gambling.