Advocacy group Gambling with Lives is among numerous charities affected by a significant cybersecurity breach targeting third-party CRM provider Beacon.
The charity, which supports families bereaved by gambling-related suicides, was notified that its data had been compromised as part of the wider attack.
Beacon, which works with over 1,500 charities and cultural organisations across the country, had its systems breached by unknown bad actors in late July and early August.
Charles Ritchie, chair of Gambling with Lives trustees, communicated the news to stakeholders in an email seen by NEXT.io on 6 August 2026.
Ritchie wrote: “Beacon told us that compromised credentials were used to gain access to Beacon, and copies of back up files were likely downloaded by the unauthorised third party.”
The compromised data could potentially include names, addresses, contact details, dates of birth, and donation records, though bank information was not believed to be affected.
Health and safeguarding information may also have been accessed, raising serious concerns given the sensitive nature of the charity’s work with bereaved families.
Ritchie confirmed that Beacon has engaged specialist cybersecurity experts, reported the incident to the Information Commissioner’s Office, and has since secured the affected systems.
He added: “Beacon has informed us that it has identified and addressed the vulnerability that led to the unauthorised access, reset relevant credentials, enhanced security monitoring, and implemented additional security measures across its systems.”
External cybersecurity experts working with Beacon have so far found no evidence of ongoing unauthorised access since the incident was contained, according to Ritchie.
The charity urged anyone affected to remain vigilant when receiving communications, given the personal data that may now be in the hands of unknown parties.
Ritchie stated: “We are grateful for your trust in Gambling with Lives and our ongoing work together. We appreciate that this news may be concerning and we sincerely apologise for any worry or inconvenience this incident may cause.”
Gambling with Lives is widely recognised for its vocal advocacy against the gambling industry, making the breach of its supporter data particularly sensitive.
The charity confirmed it has assessed risks to individuals, reviewed its legal obligations, and intends to monitor developments as Beacon’s investigation continues.
