The UK Department of Health and Social Security announced on Tuesday this week that it will initially allocate £25.4 million over two years from 2026 to 2028 to support gambling harm prevention and resilience building programs. This funding comes from the statutory levy implemented in April last year, replacing the previous voluntary levy model. The levy has raised nearly £120 million so far. This allocation will cover 33 voluntary, community, and social enterprise organizations in England, supporting their research and prevention efforts. Frankly speaking, the transition from a voluntary to a mandatory levy has indeed significantly increased the funding pool, allowing for substantial allocations for prevention, which is much better than relying on the industry's favor in the past.
Funding Allocation and Main Beneficiaries
The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities is responsible for overseeing the distribution of funds from the statutory levy, emphasizing that this allocation is made after a closed application window from January to February 2026, strictly according to published eligibility and scoring criteria, and after due diligence. All applicants must declare any conflicts of interest and commit to stopping direct industry funding (except for national and social lotteries). Applicants are also required to review materials and methods previously funded by voluntary levies from organizations such as GambleAware.
In the preliminary allocation list, institutions receiving larger funding include: GamCare with £4.04 million, Young Gamers and Gamblers Education Trust (YGAM) with £3 million, Betknowmore with £2.99 million, and BetBlocker with £1.12 million. Additionally, several Citizens Advice Bureaus and regional VCSE organizations will receive funding ranging from approximately £140,000 to £1.3 million. GamCare, as the founding organization of the national gambling helpline, recently reported an average weekly loss of £50 among student gamblers, becoming the largest single recipient this time.
Local Governments Also Receive £12 Million
In addition to the aforementioned £25.4 million fund, the Department of Health and Social Security has also allocated an additional £12 million from the statutory levy to support upper-level local governments during the 2026-27 fiscal year. This funding aims to promote gambling harm prevention and reduction programs at the community level. The English NHS is responsible for managing an independent VCSE grant aimed at treatment services. Successful applicants must stop receiving direct industry funding from April 2026 to eliminate concerns about conflicts of interest. All allocations are preliminary until the final funding agreement is signed, and the names and amounts of the institutions may be adjusted.
Overall, the UK government is building a more independent and sustainable gambling harm prevention system through the statutory levy. Both national charities and local community groups have been given clear roles and resources under this new framework. For more updates on UK gambling regulation and public welfare, continue to follow the PASA official website.
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