Concerns raised over UK gambling levy rollout
The Gambling Lived Experience Network (GLEN) has expressed concerns after the first prevention funding allocations in England.
UK.- The distribution of funds from the new UK gambling levy is already sparking debate. The Gambling Lived Experience Network (GLEN) says the first prevention funding allocations in England have provoked unease among voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations.
The funding, managed by the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID), was communicated to applicants just 13 days before the new funding cycle begins. While the announcement provides clarity for some charities, it’s left others facing difficult choices about whether they can continue operating or must close services, the GLEN says.
Stakeholders argue that the issue is not only who received funding, but also the timing and structure of the process, which leaves little room for transition planning, particularly for organisations supporting vulnerable groups.
The gambling levy is expected to generate around £100m a year. The Gambling Commission began collecting the funds in September 2025 under government direction.
The system is intended to provide stable, long-term funding for prevention, treatment and research, replacing the previous system of voluntary donations, under which funding was distributed by GambleAware. However, GLEN warns that without sustaining existing capacity, gaps in provision could emerge.
Concerns have also been raised about whether funding decisions reflect actual demand, as well as about the readiness of government bodies tasked with delivery. GLEN suggested that the competitive funding model was “needlessly reckless,” warning that commissioning decisions made without a clear grasp of current needs risk eliminating services that may later prove essential.
The group stressed that many small, specialist charities rely entirely on gambling harm funding. “Any drop in funding for gambling harm prevention work will likely pose an existential threat to their continued existence. Once lost to the system, they will likely stay lost,” it warned. It also criticised government scoring systems that favour single regional providers, disadvantaging smaller organisations.
GLEN Network Developer Mark Conway wrote on LinkedIn: “Calculators will have been working overtime, and possibly bouncing off walls a few times. Those letters already written and addressed to staff who are now unaffordable will very reluctantly be getting made ready to send out.”
OHID, part of the Department of Health and Social Care, has limited prior involvement in gambling harms. NHS England, responsible for gambling treatment, is itself undergoing major restructuring, with stakeholders noting a lack of transparency around its funding decisions.
As for the research side of gambling levy funding, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is moving forward with plans to establish its Gambling Research Programme and has opened recruitment for a department head to lead the initiative.
