In the Westfield London shopping center, a striking sculpture has been unveiled consisting of 85,000 poker riches. Each chip represents a young person between eleven and seventeen years in the United Kingdom who is currently experiencing gambling -related damage.
The sculpture is an initiative of Gambleaware, a British charity organization that is committed to gambling damage, and is part of their wider Stigma campaign. The sculpture, consisting of a sitting boy with the accompanying text “Gambling Can Grip Anyone” was designed in collaboration with creative agencies Lucky Generals and Creative Giants, Famous Campaigns reports.
With the sculpture consisting of Pokerfiches, Gambleaware wants to propagate the message that gambling problem is not exclusively an adult problem. According to figures from the UK Gambling Commission from 2024 has doubled the number of young people with gambling problems in one year to around 85,000. The sculpture serves as tangible visualization of this figure and must make the previously invisible problem visible and discussable.
From research (975kb)carried out on behalf of GambleAware, it also appears that 67% of the British population thinks there is still a stigma resting on gambling -related damage. About 31% of the respondents indicate that they have seen their first gambling advertisement before the age of 17. 62% of the public believe that gambling advertisements are ‘everywhere’, and 78% argue for stricter limitations.
Alexia Clifford, Chief Marketing Officer at Gambleaware, says the following about the disturbing figures:
“With almost one in three people who says they have seen their first gambling advertising for the age of 17, it is clear that more must be done to reduce the exposure of children to gambling advertising.”
Alexia Clifford, Chief Marketing Officer GambleAware
Shelley Smoler, CCO at Lucky Generals adds:
“Poker chirks do not belong in casinos. But gambling damage does not always adhere to the rules. These 85,000 sheets tell a difficult story, namely that of children between 11 and 17 years old who have to do with gambling damage today in Great Britain. This installation makes it impossible to ignore that invisible damage.”
Shelley Smoler, CCO bij Lucky Generals
Do you no longer have gambling under control? Then you can register yourself in Cruks (Central Register Exclusion Gambling) via cruksregister.nl. Once registered for that gambling stop, you can no longer play at Landbonden and online casinos. Cruks is a means, not the ultimate solution. Read our page about conscious playing and seek help if you can’t get out of it alone.
Lead photo by gambleeaware via YouTube.
