Gambling Levy Funding Gap Fears for UK Charities

by Jamie Smith, 9 December 2025

Gambling charities in the UK have aired concerns over how they will be funded after a change to how the country’s system works came into force.

Gambling charities in the UK are worried about a funding gap. © Alexas_Fotos, Pixabay

Key Facts:

• The charity GambleAware is being wound down next year
• It was responsible for commissioning gambling harms work and funnelling financial support to charities
• The NHS is set to take over with funding from the new statutory levy for the gambling industry
• The change in funding strategies is causing concern for charities that rely on financial support to operate their services

GambleAware has been responsible for commissioning work to reduce gambling-related harms in the UK, but the organisation is being wound down in the new year.

Its closure comes as part of a reorganisation prompted by the government’s decision to introduce a new statutory gambling levy that operators began paying in October.

The NHS is now set to take over GambleAware’s duties, but charities feel there is a lack of clarity over how the new system works and where their funding will come from.

Changes to the system are being overseen by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport but there have been delays.

Funding Delays Causing Challenges

Among the concerned organisations is GamCare, which runs the National Gambling Helpline for those concerned about their gambling.

It refers callers to dozens of other organisations for help, and GamCare’s chief executive, Victoria Corbishley, told the Guardian newspaper that the uncertainty over future funding is “causing challenges”.

She said: “We don’t know what commissioners want from us from April onwards. It runs the risk of potential disruption to some of the services, particularly smaller organisations that we rely on.”

“We need to know that the organisations we refer to have funding secure and will be in a position to provide support, or who do we signpost to?”

Curbishley believes that a short-term cash injection may be required so services can continue.

She added: “We need to make sure there’s clarity on commissioning intentions as soon as possible. If that’s going to come later, we may need interim funding arrangements to make sure there is no disruption to services.”

Impacting Frontline Services

Gordon Moody is a charity that receives funding from the gambling levy and provides treatment to around 2,000 people a year who are experiencing issues around gambling.

The charity specialises in providing residential treatment courses free of charge to gambling addicts in the UK. A spokesperson for Gordon Moody said that the criteria for commissioning treatment services have changed at short notice.

They said: “This approach is leaving longstanding, expert and proven organisations like Gordon Moody uncertain about their future beyond March 2026, and is already impacting on frontline services and the people with the most severe gambling harms.

“We are calling on the government to approve interim funding for charities delivering essential treatment and prevention activities for the next 12 months and to initiate a comprehensive evaluation of all treatment providers.”

A government spokesperson said it is aiming to provide a “smooth transition to the new levy system” and is working with GambleAware to manage the handover.