Grants launched to help UK charities affected by shift to new gambling levy
Some charities face a funding drought due to the transition to the new gambling levy.
UK.- The UK government’s Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has announced a system of temporary grants to help ease charities’ concerns over the Gambling Levy rollout. A three‑month transition grant scheme will run April 1 to June 1 to help affected charities cover staff and service costs.
The UK gambling levy came into force almost a year ago and collections began in September. However, the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities announced the first prevention funding allocations in England just 13 days before the new funding cycle begins. The Gambling Lived Experience Network (GLEN) complained that this left some charities that missed out on funding with difficult choices about whether they can continue operating.
Under the Gambling Levy transition grant scheme, eligible charities will be able to backdate claims if decisions are made after 1 April. Applicants must have been delivering relevant services in March 2026 and must have previously sought but failed to secure funding through the Gambling Harms Prevention or Treatment VCSE Grant Funds. Grants will not cover capital expenditure above £2,000, and the application window will close on April 30.
The gambling levy replaces the previous voluntary system under which operators donated 1 per cent of revenue to GambleAware. NHS England, the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID), and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) have taken over commissioning responsibilities for treatment, prevention, and research respectively, while GambleAware has ceased to exist.
The DCMS has confirmed that the statutory levy raised just under £120m in its first year. Scotland has begun dividing its £7.9m share between the NHS, local authorities, and charities. Major recipients include RCA Trust (£1m), Public Health Scotland (£967,000), NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (£926,000), and Citizens Advice Scotland (£450,000).
Wales announced its funding allocations nine months ago, but England has yet to confirm publicly how its share will be spent.
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.
