Privacy Policy
Last Updated: August 1, 2026
Introduction
At Gamble Alert, we are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring the security of your personal information. This Privacy Policy outlines how we collect, use, disclose, and protect your data when you visit our websites (gamblealert.org and gamblealert.org.ng), create an account, engage our AI-assisted counselling and clinical intake services, or otherwise participate in our advocacy and research programs. We operate in compliance with the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA) 2023 and, where applicable, the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and other relevant laws. We review this policy regularly to keep it aligned with best practice and to stay transparent about how your data moves through our platform.
About Gamble Alert
Gamble Alert is a gambling-harm awareness, advocacy, research and recovery-support platform. Unlike a financial institution, we do not process banking or payment data as part of our core service. Instead, the personal information most central to what we do relates to your gambling history, wellbeing and recovery journey. We provide AI-powered counselling sessions, personalized recovery plans, a clinical intake pathway for treatment referral, progress tracking and community support. Because this information can reveal sensitive details about your health, finances and personal circumstances, we apply a higher standard of care to how we collect, use and protect it, as set out throughout this policy.
Information We Collect
Depending on how you interact with Gamble Alert, we may collect the following categories of information:
| Category | Examples |
|---|---|
| Account & Identity Data | Username, email address, password (stored as a secure hash), and any profile details you choose to add. |
| Contact Data | Full name, phone number, and location, mainly collected when you complete our client intake form or contact support. |
| Clinical & Gambling Profile Data | Gambling type, betting platforms and IDs, gambling history (e.g. age started, duration), self-reported financial impact (average losses, peak loss, debt), and self-reported effects on family, relationships or work, collected only through our clinical intake and treatment support pathway. |
| AI Counselling & Conversation Data | Messages and responses exchanged with our AI-powered counselling assistant, used to personalize your recovery plan and track your progress over time. |
| Usage & Technical Data | IP address, browser and device type, pages visited, and time spent, collected automatically via cookies and analytics tools. |
| Research Data | Anonymized or pseudonymized data collected through surveys or studies on gambling harms, only with your consent. |
| Communication & Marketing Data | Records of correspondence with us, newsletter preferences, and consents you give for marketing communications. |
Sensitive Data: Your Gambling, Clinical & Counselling Information
Because information about your gambling behaviour, addiction status, and related financial or relationship harm can reveal details about your health and personal circumstances, we treat it as sensitive personal data under the NDPA. Specific safeguards apply:
- Collection: Only collected through the client intake form or during an AI counselling or clinical support session, after you have been told why it is needed.
- Use: Used strictly to assess your needs, personalize your recovery plan, coordinate care with counsellors, and, in anonymized form, support research into gambling harms.
- Access: Restricted to authorized counsellors, clinicians and administrators directly involved in your care, on a need-to-know basis.
- Disclosure: Never sold. Shared with a treatment partner, referral service or legal authority only where you have consented or where we are legally required to do so.
- Retention: Kept only for as long as necessary to provide ongoing support and meet applicable record-keeping obligations (see Data Retention below), then securely deleted or anonymized.
- Consent: Collected only after you are informed and give explicit consent, which you may withdraw at any time.
How We Use Your Information
We use your information to:
- Provide and improve our services, including AI-powered counselling, advocacy, research, and treatment support.
- Personalize your recovery plan and track your progress across sessions.
- Respond to inquiries, provide updates, and send newsletters (with your consent).
- Analyze website usage to enhance user experience and optimize content.
- Conduct research on gambling harms, ensuring data is anonymized where applicable.
- Comply with legal obligations and protect the rights and safety of our users.
Legal Basis for Processing
Every processing purpose has at least one lawful basis, established before that processing takes place:
| Purpose of Processing | Lawful Basis |
|---|---|
| Creating and maintaining your account | Contract |
| AI-powered counselling and personalized recovery plans | Explicit consent |
| Clinical intake and coordination of treatment support | Explicit consent / protection of vital interests |
| Responding to inquiries and customer support | Contract / legitimate interest |
| Newsletters and programme updates | Consent |
| Anonymized research on gambling harms | Consent / public interest research |
| Website analytics and service improvement | Consent (analytics cookies) / legitimate interest |
| Complying with legal or safeguarding obligations | Legal obligation |
Consent, Age Requirements & Withdrawal
Where applicable, Gamble Alert requires your explicit consent before processing personal information, particularly for AI counselling sessions, clinical intake, and marketing communications. Visitors to our website are expected to read, understand and agree to this Privacy Policy and our Cookie Policy. Under the NDPA, a child is anyone under 18; under the GDPR, anyone under 16. Our AI counselling and clinical intake services are intended for individuals aged 18 and over.
You may withdraw your consent at any time (for example, for newsletters, cookies, or continued use of your clinical or AI conversation data) by emailing info@gamblealert.org with the subject line “Withdraw Consent”, or by updating your preferences through our Cookie Consent tool. Withdrawing consent for clinical or counselling data may limit our ability to continue providing personalized support.
Cookies and Tracking Technologies
We use cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience, analyze usage, and deliver personalized content. Cookies may include:
- Essential Cookies: Necessary for the website to function properly.
- Analytics Cookies: Help us understand how users interact with our site (e.g., Google Analytics).
- Marketing Cookies: Used to deliver relevant advertisements (if applicable).
You can manage your cookie preferences through our Cookie Consent tool. For more details, see our Cookie Policy.
Sharing Your Information & Cross-Border Transfers
We do not sell or rent your personal information. We may share your data with:
- Service providers (e.g., hosting, analytics, or email services) who act on our behalf and are bound by confidentiality agreements.
- Licensed treatment or referral partners, only with your consent, to help coordinate your care.
- Research partners, only with anonymized data and your consent.
- Legal authorities, if required to comply with applicable laws or protect our rights.
Some of our service providers may process data on servers located outside Nigeria. Where this happens, we take steps consistent with the NDPA to ensure adequate protection, such as confirming the recipient country has adequate data protection standards, putting a data processing agreement in place, or relying on other safeguards approved by the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC).
Data Retention
We keep personal data only for as long as it is needed for the purpose it was collected, or as required by law:
- Account data: retained while your account is active, and for a limited period after closure to meet security and legal requirements.
- Clinical & gambling profile data: retained for the duration of your engagement with our support services, and afterwards only as needed to ensure continuity of care and meet applicable record-keeping obligations, unless you request earlier deletion.
- AI conversation data: retained only as long as needed to support your recovery plan and improve service quality and safety, after which it is anonymized or deleted.
- Research data: retained in anonymized form once identifying details have been removed.
- Marketing data: retained until you unsubscribe or withdraw consent.
Data is securely archived, deleted, or anonymized once it is no longer needed for these purposes.
Your Data Protection Rights
Under the NDPA, GDPR, and other applicable laws, you have the right to:
- Access, correct, or delete your personal information.
- Object to or restrict the processing of your data.
- Request data portability.
- Object to automated profiling, where applicable.
- Withdraw consent at any time (e.g., for newsletters, cookies, or AI counselling data).
- Lodge a complaint with a data protection authority.
To exercise these rights, complete our Data Subject Access Request (DSAR) Form and send it to info@gamblealert.org, or simply email us directly if a form is not convenient. We may ask you to verify your identity before fulfilling your request, and we aim to respond without undue delay.
Data Security
We implement industry-standard security measures, including encryption and secure servers, to protect your data. However, no method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
Third-Party Links
Our website may contain links to third-party sites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of these sites. We encourage you to review their privacy policies.
Children’s Privacy
Our services, including AI counselling and clinical intake, are not directed to individuals under 18. If we become aware that a child under 18 has provided personal information without appropriate parental or guardian consent, we will take steps to delete it. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has shared personal data with us, please contact us so we can act on it.
Complaints
If you have concerns about how we handle your personal data, please contact us first at info@gamblealert.org so we can try to resolve the issue directly. If you are not satisfied with our response, you may lodge a complaint with the relevant supervisory authority:
- Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC): dpo@ndpc.gov.ng
Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. We will notify you of significant changes by posting the updated policy on our website with a revised “Last Updated” date.