The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) in the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) revealed on Tuesday its plans to allocate £25.4 million to gambling-harms prevention measures.
The funding package will stretch from 2026 until 2028 and support 33 voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations around the nation to support research and prevention actions.
GamCare among charities to receive funding
The provisional funding list includes some familiar names for those in the gambling harms prevention space, with GamCare receiving the largest share of the pool (£4.04 million).
The charity operates and supports a 24/7 National Gambling Helpline and online services. Founded in 1997, it works with partners to deliver counseling, education and prevention programs. The organization has historically been funded largely through voluntary industry donations, but the UK’s new statutory levy system aimed at strengthening independent, nationwide support for gambling-related harm.
Other notable names include Young Gamers and Gamblers Education Trust, which was allocated £3.0 million, and Betknowmore UK receiving £2.99 million.
Digital support provider BetBlocker will receive £1.12 million, while a network of Citizens Advice bureaux and regional voluntary, community and social enterprise groups will share awards ranging from about £140,000 to £1.3 million.
Funding comes from new statutory levy
The introduction of the UK statutory levy, a mandatory charge on gambling operators to fund research, prevention and treatment of gambling addiction, replaced the previous voluntary system widely criticized as underfunded and inconsistent.
In 2023–2024 reforms, the UK government demanded firms contribute a fixed percentage of revenues. The move formalized funding oversight and aimed to reduce industry influence over how harm-reduction services are financed.
Some reports suggest the levy has raised more than £120 million so far. The UK government has said 20% of statutory levy funds will go to UK Research and Innovation to run a dedicated gambling harms research program, alongside targeted work by the Gambling Commission.
Another 30% will fund prevention through the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities and devolved governments, supporting early intervention and a broader public health approach. Officials say the aim is to strengthen independent evidence and reduce harm across Great Britain.
Half of the levy, or 50%, will go to NHS England and counterparts in Scotland and Wales to expand treatment and support services, including work with charities. Oversight will sit with a Gambling Levy Delivery Group and Programme Board, while the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) will publish annual reports tracking spending, progress and outcomes.
Upper-tier local authorities to also benefit to tune of £12 million
An additional £12 million has been earmarked for upper-tier local authorities, though the OHID said allocations remain provisional until grant agreements are finalized, with recipients and amounts subject to revision.
This funding sits alongside the £25.4 million package, with the local authority share designated for the 2026–27 financial year to support community-level efforts to prevent and reduce gambling-related harm.
Officials said the local funding will enable targeted, place-based interventions, while NHS England is overseeing a separate grant program for voluntary, community and social enterprise providers delivering treatment services.
As a condition of the new framework, successful applicants must cease accepting direct industry funding from April 2026, though final awards remain contingent on completing formal grant agreements.
Last year, the United Kingdom Gambling Commission’s (UKGC) annual survey found 1.4 million Britons have a gambling problem. A total of 2.7% of adults registered scores of eight or higher on the Problem Gambling Severity Index, a commonly used benchmark for assessing the harmful impacts of gambling behavior.
Additional data indicated that problem gambling rates were higher in more deprived communities, as well as among users of certain products, including slot machines and, for the first time, in-play sports betting.
