Good Law Project’s Case Against GambleAware Shut down by Charity Commission
The Good Law Project celebrated in May when the Gambling Commission opened an investigation at its request into the charity GambleAware. Jolyon’s crew launched their assault because some of its funding comes from the gambling industry (normal) and its campaigns advocate adult self-control instead of the complete shut-down of the gambling industry:
“GambleAware runs high-profile advertising campaigns which experts say ‘imply that gamblers are a unique category of people who are personally to blame for their losses’, reflecting ‘a discourse promoted by the gambling industry which attempts to shift blame for gambling-related harm away from aggressively marketed harmful products and on to individual gamblers’. Instead of helping people to stop gambling, the charity blames the people it should help and advises them to gamble ‘responsibly’.”
Apparently that means that it is “violating Charity Law” by “failing to meet its charitable objectives” of helping problem gamblers. As you’d expect, the Charity Commission have pretty swiftly opened and shut the case:
“We received the necessary assurance that the trustees have been handling matters as we would expect including taking appropriate steps to ensure its independence from the gambling industry. The trustees have satisfied the Commission that they have the right processes in place to ensure they are furthering their purposes.”
Another doomed campaign funded by gullible donors. Guido doubts he’ll see this update on the Good Law Project’s page. Jolyon declared over the weekend that he would be off twitter “in the mountains” for two weeks. Guido regrets to give him the news…