Vicky Castle and Kai McConkey support people impacted by gambling related harms with Ara Recovery For All. In this guest blog, they outline how widespread gambling advertising could contribute to these harms.
Gambling advertising is everywhere.
There’s no escaping it. We see it on TV, and hear it on the radio. It’s all over social media, and in your favourite smartphone game. It’s there in magazines and newspapers, and on the side of your local bus. Gambling advertising promises big wins and a lot of fun. But all of this masks something a lot more worrying.
Gambling in Sport
Advertising drives huge profits for gambling companies. In 2025, the industry made £2.48 billion from sport betting in the UK. Around 9% of the UK population takes part, betting on everything from mainstream sports to Muggle Quidditch.
Thanks to 24/7 sport betting, people can also now wager on global events at any time, whether it’s Brazilian volleyball, South Korean baseball, or US college sport.
At a grassroots level, these constant gambling adverts are having a significant impact. For the most part, individuals can limit the amount of time and money they devote to gambling. But for others, the prevalence of advertising may lead to an increase in the risk of gambling harms.
Bristol University’s recent study of the 14 million adult grassroots football players puts them five times more likely to experience gambling harms than other adults. The study highlighted that 1 in 6 adult men in grassroots football are already experiencing these harms. For these individuals, it’s almost impossible to escape from the constant stream of adverts.
Ara Recovery for All
Kai and Vicky both work for the charity Ara, which supports anyone across the South West and Wales impacted by gambling harms. They’re both huge sport fans, and they work to raise awareness of gambling harms in a variety of settings. They also presented an online seminar during Safeguarding Adults Week 2025, and more recently to the NGB Lead Safeguarding Officers Forum.
I grew up playing a wide range of sports, including rugby, badminton, football, running, golf, cricket and more. Sport was a huge part of my identity.
In my early teens, I discovered gambling. It wasn’t as accessible as it is today, but over time it became a major part of my life. Bit by bit, it eroded the things I loved, including my passion for sport, and affected almost 30 years of my life.
Gambling became a coping mechanism for every problem. It damaged my relationships with my friends, teammates, and colleagues.
Thankfully, I found amazing, timely support. I began to address the harm it had caused, and I felt the difference immediately. I’m now in my seventh year of recovery, enjoying both playing and watching sport again. I am passionate about supporting adults who experience gambling harms.
– Kai McConkey – Community Engagement Lead (South West England), Ara Recovery For All
Safeguarding the Next Generation of Adults
I am a huge sports enthusiast and come from a sporting background, having played, coached and umpired a variety of sports at grassroots level.
I was a PE teacher for 30 years and witnessed how advertising campaigns can lure our next generation of adults into frequent gambling.
Young people need to understand gambling harms so they can make safer choices and stay safe while gaming.
Ara’s youth project, Ahead of the Game, runs free workshops for 11–24-year-olds, along with parents, carers, and professionals. We’ve worked with both professional and grass roots organisations, and we aim to partner with more. Listening to young people’s experiences highlights the importance of the preventative education we offer.
– Vicky Castle – Education and Prevention Lead (South West England), Ara Recovery For All
How can Ara support your organisation?
Kai, Vicky, and their colleagues play a vital role in safeguarding adults, children, and families around gambling harms. They would be keen to link with any sporting organisations, particularly across the South West and Wales.
They can provide prevention education sessions for welfare officers, coaching teams, parents and carers, and young people. Also, they can support events and awareness days in person, or they can provide literature to distribute. Vitally, they can signpost for support when gambling becomes more than just a game.
Get Further Support Today
- Ara Recovery 4 All – Official website featuring support resources, where you can request a call or discuss training.
- Ahead of the Game – Empowering Young People youth programme.
- For more information, or to request a call or to book a free workshop, you can also contact Kai at KaiMcConkey@recovery4all.co.uk, or Vicky at VickyCastle@recovery4all.co.uk.