Instant Online Gambling Help Site Goes Live

GamAid, the first service to provide instant on-line help to people with gambling problems, is going live this month, after a very successful six month trial period.

The service will provide instant, real-time, one-to-one access to professional help for online gamblers who feel they are losing control of their gambling activities, or who want to know more about responsible gambling.

Gamblers can access the service by clicking the active gamAid button placed on gaming sites. GamAid was found to appeal to many people who had not sought any help before, according to research by the International Gaming Research Unit (IGR) at UK's Nottingham Trent University.

Ladbrokes-owner of Ladbrokes Poker, and Betfair-owner of Betfair Poker, are two of many gaming sites already using gamAid.

Sue Harley, compliance director at Ladbrokes, noted, "GamAid gives our clients access to help and information that they may not otherwise receive. Providing easy access to information assists us greatly in meeting our social obligations."

With changes in the UK Gambling Act coming into force in 2007, "GamAid is the only service that lets gambling sites meet the demands of the UK Gambling Commission," remarked gamAid manager Roberts. The company is also working with regulators to provide a best practice use of gamAid to ensure that the gamAid button is prominently displayed on every operator's site in the future.

"In order to tackle problem gambling, operators must clearly demonstrate that not only do they operate an honest, fair and informative site, but they also need to understand that, like anything addictive, preventative measures must be put in place for when users think things may be getting out of hand," said Sue Schneider, president and CEO of the River City Group at this year's Global Interactive Gaming Summit in Canada. "GamAid is able to provide a wonderful on-line help service for those with a gambling problem."

GamAid was developed by UK-based Datasmith Ltd. From its inception gamAid has been inspired by and responded to the needs of a number of organizations, including The Gordon House Association, Responsibility in Gambling Trust (RIGT) , RGA and IGC.

For more information, visit www.gamAid.com.