UK Government Expands Gambling Harm Prevention Funding to £39.7 Million

LONDON, England – The UK government’s Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) has increased provisional gambling harm prevention funding to £39.7 million, adding seven organizations to its grant program. The updated allocations cover 40 organizations working to prevent gambling-related harm in England.

The funding comes from the statutory levy on licensed gambling operators and covers the 2026–27 and 2027–28 financial years. The revised total represents an increase of approximately £14.3 million from the £25.4 million initially allocated to 33 organizations in April.

Gamban and Gambling with Lives Among New Funding Recipients

The updated government funding allocations include several organizations working on gambling harm prevention, education and support services.

Gamban, which provides software designed to block access to gambling websites and applications, has provisionally secured £2.71 million. Gambling with Lives, which campaigns for greater awareness and prevention of gambling-related harm, will receive approximately £1.88 million.

Other newly added recipients include Chapter One, with £3.06 million, and GamLEARN, which has been allocated £1.83 million. Beacon Counselling Trust is set to receive £1.64 million, while Waythrough has secured £2.77 million and Tameside, Oldham, Glossop and Stockport Mind has been allocated £208,015.

The seven additions bring the total number of organizations on the funding list to 40. OHID also revised an existing allocation, increasing the amount provisionally awarded to Wolverhampton Citizens Advice Bureaux.

Previously announced recipients remain on the list, including GamCare, which has been allocated £4.04 million, YGAM with £3 million, Betknowmore with £2.99 million and BetBlocker with £1.12 million.

The grants are provisional, and the government has emphasized that individual allocations will only be confirmed once funding agreements have been finalized. The list of recipients and award amounts may still change.

Statutory Gambling Levy Supports Research, Prevention and Treatment

The gambling harm prevention grants form part of Britain’s statutory gambling levy, which replaced the previous voluntary funding arrangements with mandatory contributions from licensed operators.

Under the framework, 20% of the levy proceeds support gambling research, 30% fund prevention activities and the remaining 50% goes toward treatment and support services.

The UK Gambling Commission collects the levy from licensed operators, with contributions calculated according to the type of gambling activity. Online operators generally pay a higher percentage of gross gambling yield than most land-based gambling businesses.

The government confirmed earlier in 2026 that the levy had generated just under £120 million in its first year. The proceeds are reserved for research, prevention and treatment initiatives addressing gambling-related harm.

OHID, part of the Department of Health and Social Care, manages the prevention grants in England. Separate commissioning arrangements apply in Scotland and Wales, while NHS England oversees funding for gambling harm treatment services.

The latest prevention allocations also follow GamCare’s recent annual report, which documented more than 114,000 contacts with its helpline and online support services during 2025-26 as the organization transitioned to the new funding system.

Local Councils Receive Separate £12 Million Allocation

Alongside grants to voluntary, community and social enterprise organizations, OHID is distributing a separate £12 million to upper-tier local councils in England for the 2026–27 financial year.

The local council funding, originally announced in April, is intended to strengthen public health measures aimed at preventing gambling-related harm. An additional £12 million is anticipated for 2027–28.

Funding allocations are determined using population and deprivation measures, with greater funding per person directed toward areas experiencing higher levels of socioeconomic disadvantage.

Local authorities must meet grant conditions before receiving their allocations, including demonstrating that decisions about gambling harm prevention remain independent of gambling industry influence.

The same independence principle applies to organizations receiving prevention grants. Applicants were required to commit to not accepting direct gambling industry funding after April 1, 2026, with exceptions for the National Lottery and social lotteries.

OHID said the grants are intended to strengthen organizations delivering prevention programs, improve their ability to maintain services and support evidence-based public health decisions.

The department expects to use findings from the funded programs to inform future prevention strategies. It also anticipates further funding opportunities during 2027–28 as the statutory levy system continues to develop.

RELATED TOPICS: Responsible Gambling