GamCare has reported a sharp rise in the number of people being referred into gambling support at the start of 2026, suggesting more callers are moving beyond an initial chat and into structured help.
In January 2026, the National Gambling Helpline and live chat made 996 referrals to treatment and peer support services. That is up 48% from 674 in January 2025.
January was one of the strongest months in years
If you look only at treatment referrals and exclude peer support, GamCare said the January total was 742, up from 603 a year earlier.
GamCare described January as one of its strongest months in the past five years. It follows other high points late in 2025, which suggests this is not a one-off spike.
More people are moving from first contact into care
The more important shift is what happens after someone reaches out. GamCare said a higher share of people are moving more quickly from a first conversation into treatment or related support.
The charity also said the average number of referrals per client has increased year on year. That points to more people using a mix of services once they enter the system, such as clinical support, financial guidance, and peer-based help.
The pressure point is capacity, not demand
Higher referrals are a positive sign that people are getting linked to support, but they also put pressure on the system behind the helpline. If volumes stay near late-2025 levels, the key issue will be whether services can take people on quickly without longer waits.
For the wider sector, the core question is whether the helpline continues to work as an effective “front door” into care as demand stays high.
