GamblePause

GamblePause
Category	Support community
Founded	July 1, 2024
Address	Lagos, Nigeria
Official website	https://www.gamblepause.com/
Help and Support
Help & Support settings	Online, Phone, One-to-one, Group session
Helpline hours	24/7
Helpline number	08132327149
Email	[email protected]
Social Media
Instagram	Visit
Threads	Visit
TikTok	Visit
Facebook	Visit
LinkedIn	Visit
X (Twitter)	Visit
Last Updated	16.03.2026

GamblePause (often operating as GamblePause Initiative Africa) is an independent social impact organization and charity headquartered in Nigeria.

What is GamblePause

GamblePause is a nonprofit organisation with the mission to promote responsible gambling, advocate against underage gambling, and provide help for individuals with problem gambling. It is an independent social impact organisation committed to reducing gambling-related harm across Africa, combining lived experience with structured intervention and policy engagement.

The organisation operates a hybrid model, combining virtual and physical support to widen access. Its interventions are guided by Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) assessments.^[2]

The organisation was appointed as Clarion Gaming's Safer Gambling Charity Partner, covering events including ICE Barcelona, iGB Affiliate Barcelona, and iGB L!VE London.^[3]^[4]

Role in the Industry

GamblePause promotes responsible gambling and prevents underage participation. It also functions as a rehabilitation centre for problem gamblers, extending digital services into physical support.^[5]

Its work spans community outreach, digital education platforms, rehabilitation referrals, research collaboration, and international partnerships, with a particular focus on countries experiencing rapid growth in online and youth gambling.

History and Reach

The founder, Ladipo Abiose Akolade, was born on 25 August 1991 in Ikorodu, Lagos State. Wikipedia He launched GamblePause having personally experienced gambling-related harm for nine years.^[6]^[7]

Date	Event
July 2024	GamblePause begins operations, initially in virtual format
2024–2025	Founder Ladipo Abiose Akolade presents at ICE Barcelona, iGB Live London, and the University of Bristol
April 2025	Reaches 11,000 students at the University of Lagos
May 2025	Kikelomo Atanda-Owo joins as co-founder and trustee^[8]
June 2025	Physical rehabilitation centre opens at Alagomeji, Yaba, Lagos
December 2025	Reaches a further 12,500 students through campus awareness sessions

Support Options

Support Type	Description
Community Support	Free counselling, self-exclusion tools, and recovery resources. Contact: 08132327149.
Treatment method	Interventions guided by CBT assessments, hybrid model of virtual and in-person support.
Rehabilitation centre	Face-to-face therapeutic support at Alagomeji, Yaba, Lagos. Appointment only.
Outreach programmes	School visits, community workshops, digital outreach, "Say No to Underage Gambling" campaign

GamblePause alternatives

Community	Country	Help for Problem Gambling
Gam-Anon	Global	Find a meeting
Gamblers Anonymous (GA)	Global	Find a meeting
SMART Recovery	Global	Find a meeting
GambleAlert	NG	Find local support

References

[1] ttps://www.gamblepause.com/helplines

[2] ttps://www.thisdaylive.com/2025/08/28/rewriting-the-odds-a-nigerian-founders-fight-against-gambling-addiction/

[3] ttps://www.thisdaylive.com/2026/01/14/gamblepause-confronting-gambling-harm-in-africa-one-community-at-a-time/

[4] ttps://www.icegaming.com/content-hub/ladipo-abiose-akolade-being-named-clarion-gamings-safer-gambling-charity-partner-historic-milestone-everyone-involved-gamblepause

[5] ttps://sigma.world/news/gamblepause-tackling-nigerias-gambling-stigma/

[6] ttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ladipo_Abiose_Akolade

[7] ttps://iagr.org/speakers/ladipo-abiose-akolade/

[8] ttps://www.thisdaylive.com/2025/05/15/gamblepause-welcomes-kikelomo-atanda-owo-as-co-founder-trustee/

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