Insights
England stars take on winners of the #BetRegret Cup
The #BetRegret Cup is part of the safer gambling campaign aimed at moderating the behaviour of young male bettors by encouraging them to think twice about betting when drunk, bored or chasing losses. Its final was a culmination of regional qualifying across 26 of Powerleague’s centres, following 170 teams entering across the UK. The cup was launched to speak directly to the target audience of young male sports bettors, with the help of ex-England internationals Sol Campbell, David James, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Joleon Lescott, Paul Konchesky and Carlton Cole
London, 4th August: On Sunday, a team of former England internationals including Sol Campbell, David James, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Joleon Lescott, Paul Konchesky and Carlton Cole, took part in the inaugural #BetRegret Cup – a nationwide 5-a-side tournament hosted by GambleAware and Powerleague as part of a safer gambling campaign, Bet Regret.
The campaign aims to support 2.4m young men aged 18-34 who gamble regularly, the age range typically found at five-a-side centres around the UK and of which 87% regularly watch football[1], and raise awareness of Bet Regret. Bet Regret is a campaign geared to encourage football fans to moderate their betting behaviour and avoid the sinking feeling bettors often get when they make an impulsive bet.
For the last six weeks, 5-a-side teams from up and down the country have been battling it out to qualify for the #BetRegret Cup at local Powerleague centres, which culminated at the national final at Powerleague Shoreditch. The winning team The Slough Scorpionz, were then challenged to take on the team of ex-England footballers who were managed by England legend and current Macclesfield manager Sol Campbell.
David James, the former England goalkeeper said: “Safer gambling within football is an incredibly important issue – the more young lads we can encourage to think twice before making those risky bets, the more of a positive impact we can have, which is why I’m glad to have played a part in the #BetRegret Cup. You only have to look on TV and at football sponsorships in general to see how much betting advertising there is, and how easy it is to place impulsive bets.”
Marc Etches, Chief Executive Officer for GambleAware, said: “The #BetRegret Cup has given us a unique opportunity to work alongside the football community in Britain and to encourage sports bettors to reflect on their gambling behaviour We know that football is their most popular sport to watch, play and bet on. The #BetRegret Cup is intended to raise the profile of safer gambling across the football community and encourage self-reflection.”David Rose, Deputy Chief Executive for The Football Supporters’ Association who are supporters of the Bet Regret campaign, said: “Putting a bet on is a normal and enjoyable part of the match-day routine for many football fans, but it’s important that people know the difference between a considered bet and one that’s impulsive. This is why Bet Regret has resonated so strongly with supporters and the #BetRegret Cup has been such a key part of the campaign – congratulations to The Slough Scorpionz!”
For tips on how to keep betting in check, visit BeGambleAware.org/BetRegret
