University becomes first to train staff on gaming and gambling harm

A new training programme, the first of its kind in the UK, has been delivered to staff at the University of Birmingham to provide insight into the world of gaming and gambling related harms amongst students.

The Gambling and Gaming Awareness course, delivered directly by the Young Gamers & Gamblers Education Trust (YGAM), has been adopted to form part of the Wellbeing Development Programme at the University of Birmingham. The course provides staff with an insight and understanding of both gambling and gaming and explores, by using research and data, the associated risks that young adults are vulnerable to. The training, which also teaches university staff to spot the signs of students who may be struggling, was delivered to the University of Birmingham as a first step in YGAM’s plans to roll out this programme and offer this training to universities across the UK.

Research published by YGAM in 2019 showed that 264,000 students are at some risk of gambling-related harm in the UK with around 88,000 already defined as problem gamblers. The charity has warned that the drastic change to student life this year could increase the risks of students experiencing harms due to isolation, mental health and anxiety.

The training has been delivered to over 50 key members of staff responsible for supporting the mental health and wellbeing of the student population at the University of Birmingham.

More information about the training programme can be found on the YGAM website.