£39.7 million for gambling harm prevention organisations in the UK

The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) in the UK plans to allocate £39.7 million to 40 voluntary and community organisations for gambling harm prevention initiatives. The funding comes from the prevention portion of the statutory gambling levy. The grants cover the 2026-27 and 2027-28 financial years and have been announced provisionally. The programme has been expanded beyond the initial list announced in April, which envisaged £25.4 million for 33 organisations.

The largest share went to GamCare, which operates the National Gambling Helpline. The organisation will receive slightly over £4 million. Chapter One received £3.06 million, YGAM £3 million, Betknowmore £2.99 million, Waythrough £2.77 million, and gambling blocking software provider Gamban £2.71 million. Gambling Harm UK received £1.2 million. It was stated that the final amounts may change until the grant agreements are completed.

Gamban was not included in the initial list announced in April. On that list, its rival BetBlocker received £1.1 million. Gamban then launched a paid subscription service in England and Wales. With the new grant, free access has been reopened in England. Free access in Wales had previously been restored earlier in the year.

The fund has sparked debate in parts of the industry. Gambling With Lives received £1.8 million. The organisation supports families who have lost loved ones to suicide linked to gambling and campaigns for reform of gambling law. It took part in policy discussions during the review of the Gambling Act between 2020 and 2023. Including the £3.06 million given to Chapter One, the total funding linked to this organisation reaches about £5 million. Some industry representatives argued that reform advocates should not receive funding from the levy paid by operators.