UK National Gambling Helpline sees sharp rise in referrals

GamCare saw referrals leap by 48 per cent year-on-year. 

UK. The charity GamCare has reported that the UK National Gambling Helpline saw a jump in the number of people referred for treatment in January 2026. There were 996 referrals to treatment and peer-based support services during the month, a rise of 48 per cent year-on-year.

After excluding people directed to peer-based support, treatment referrals totalled 742 compared to 603 last year. GamCare noted that over the past five years, only three months had seen higher numbers of referrals than this total, all of them last year: 1,165 in October 2025, 1,022 in September 2025, and 1,077 in August 2025.

GamCare CEO Victoria Corbishley said the numbers suggested more people were choosing to seek treatment, possibly indicating a rise in awareness of services or a reduction in the stigma associated with seeking help.

“More people affected by gambling harms are choosing to start treatment,” she said. “The National Gambling Helpline is a 24/7, confidential route to support, and our advisers rapidly connect people with free, specialist help across Great Britain. That first conversation remains the crucial turning point.”

The National Gambling Helpline is the most common route into treatment for gambling harm in the UK. GamCare said that people are moving from ‘help-seeking’ to ‘treatment-starting’ faster. The proportion of target calls converting into treatment suggests callers are more ready to engage in structured support and that referral pathways are working efficiently. 

Specialist wraparound help is also reaching the right people, the body said. Flexible and person-centred services are helping to plug critical gaps identified in recent evaluations of the UK treatment landscape, it said.

It noted that service users can now access multiple, diverse avenues for support. 

It added: “New data demonstrates GamCare’s public health approach to tackling gambling harm. Gambling harm affects individuals, families and communities, with well documented mental health and financial impacts. 

“Public health reviews emphasise prevention and rapid access to treatment; improving conversion from helpline contact to treatment is a key step in reducing harm.”