The British government is attempting to relieve the problem for gambling damage charities sector amidst the transition to a new, and often controversial, funding design.
According to the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), which oversees UK gambling, the statutory research study, education and treatment (RET) levy has raised simply under ₤ 120m in its first year of existence.
This hefty sum will be ringfenced for research study, avoidance and treatment of gambling-related harm. The transition period between the old and brand-new funding models has actually presented obstacles for some charities, nevertheless.
To help treat this, the DCMS has actually prepared a three-month shift grant fund. The grant will be available to UK gambling harm charities in between 1 April-1 June 2026, though in cases where DCMS makes a choice after 1 April charities will have the ability to backdate claims.
Charities will have to satisfy specific eligibility criteria to protect a grant.
Organisations need to have been delivering 'pertinent activity' in March 2026 to support service users in England and need to have formerly bid for and been ejected from funding from the gambling levy through the Gambling Harms Prevention VCSE Grant Fund and/or the Gambling Harms Treatment VCSE Grant Fund.
The grant is being made to cover any staffing and associated on-costs for the continuation of charity services. Capital expense, specified as any costs that results in the production of improvement of an asset worth more than ₤ 2,000, is excluded.
Organisations have until 30 April 2026 to obtain the grant.
Charities turn a questionable corner
The levy was a flagship step of the Gambling Act evaluation, changing the previous system whereby operators willingly contributed 1% of their profits to GambleAware. The charity would consequently commission RET jobs across the country.
Statutory levy invoices were initially issued by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) on 1 September 2025, with a payment due date of 1 October 2025. The levy is now an annual requirement for certified operators, with billings provided 1 September each year.
Its application has not gone by without debate, nevertheless, and various charities have voiced concerns about the future sustainability of the UK gaming damage research study, education and treatment system under the new funding structure.
NHS England, which is being dismantled, has handled duty for treatment funding, The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) will oversee prevention, and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) will handle research study.
GambleAware closed its doors earlier this month due to its commissioning functions having actually been successfully taken control of by the NHS. The charity had long called for the production of a statutory levy - but with itself keeping the commissioning lead.
Various charity organisations expressed alarm at the changes when the Gambling Act review White Paper was published in April 2023, and have actually continued to do so.
The Gambling Lived Experience Network (GLEN), for example, expressed some disappointments on LinkedIn just recently - though the organisation did have some praise for OHID, explaining it as carrying out much better than NHS England and UKRI.
No turning back?
Despite charities' opinions, it seems that the statutory levy is here to stay. Even if the federal government were to alter its mind, such a huge endeavor would take some time to manage.
Commissioning measures are likewise well underway. In Scotland, the devolved government has started divvying up its ₤ 7.9 m share of the UK-wide betting levy. The funds will be split between the NHS, local authority partners and the 3rd sector - the latter being the charities.
Scotland's Public Health Minister, Jenni Minto, said: "Gambling harm is a substantial problem for too many people in Scotland who are dealing with it. It affects not only individuals who bet but also their households, relationships, neighborhoods and wider society.
"We are already striving with partners on decreasing this and these awards are a significant advance. This financing will help support a range of tasks and programs for people dealing with what is frequently a hidden problem.
"Data shows that over two percent of Scottish adults - over 90,000 individuals - might be issue gamblers. The funding offers a balance across the 3rd sector, consisting of the community and voluntary sector, and services provided through the NHS and regional authorities."
The biggest receivers are the RCA Trust (₤ 1m), Public Health Scotland (₤ 967,000), NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (₤ 926,000), Fast Forward (₤ 561,000), Citizens Advice Scotland (₤ 450,000) and Simon Community Scotland (₤ 445,000).
Other recipients are Gambling With Lives (₤ 124,000), Charity Space Scotland (₤ 47,000), Scottish Ambulance Service (₤ 45,000), Young Scot (₤ 30,000) and Dundee and Angus College (₤ 52,000).
The biggest recipient, the RCA Trust, is a counselling service for people experiencing gambling-related damage and other conditions like drug and alcohol abuse. Andy Todd, a representative for the charity, stated:
"The financing supplied by the Scottish Government will be basic in the continued delivery of avoidance, education, training, treatment and support for those affected by betting damages across Scotland.
"With betting harms now being seen through a public health model, we anticipate working with partners to reduce harms by expanding service provision, minimizing preconception and working with the voices of lived experience to embed policy and practice across frontline staff."
The circulation of gambling harm treatment funding in Scotland comes 9 months after the Welsh government revealed how its share of the RET levy funds would be distributed. There is still no verification regarding how funds will be spent in England, however.
