GamCare Secures Over £4M from OHID to Tackle Gambling Harms Across the UK

GamCare has been provisionally allocated more than £4m from the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID), marking one of the first deployments of funding under the UK’s statutory gambling levy framework.

The grant, covering the 2026-2028 period and subject to final approval, forms part of a broader £25.4m allocation distributed across 33 organisations. These bodies have been tasked with delivering prevention and resilience programmes across England, reflecting a coordinated national approach to reducing gambling-related harm.

Shift from Industry Funding to Centralised Commissioning

Structural transition in funding model

This allocation highlights a structural transition in how gambling harm services are funded and commissioned. Under the new levy system, funding is channelled through government bodies rather than relying on voluntary contributions from operators. As a result, organisations such as GamCare are now operating within a more centralised and outcomes-focused framework.

Increased scrutiny and accountability

For operators, this shift introduces heightened scrutiny regarding how levy contributions translate into measurable harm reduction. There is an increasing emphasis on accountability, geographic reach, and the ability to engage underserved or previously overlooked cohorts. The move also aligns funding more closely with public health priorities, reinforcing expectations around transparency and performance reporting.

Delivery Focus: Early Intervention and “Affected Others”

Regional outreach and early intervention

GamCare’s proposed use of the funding is centred on two primary delivery areas. The first involves regional outreach across Yorkshire and the Humber, the East Midlands, London, and the South East. This approach will utilise embedded practitioners working within community settings to strengthen early intervention efforts and improve referral pathways into formal support services.

Support for affected others

The second area focuses on providing national support for “affected others” – individuals indirectly impacted by gambling-related harm. This group is estimated to include around four million people in England, yet remains significantly underrepresented within existing treatment pathways. Expanding services for this segment reflects a broader policy shift toward addressing the wider social consequences of gambling, beyond the individual experiencing harm.

Operational Implications: Scale, Access, and Measurement

Service capacity and delivery expectations

While the funding increases service capacity, it also raises expectations around delivery and performance. Community-based outreach models, including the use of lived-experience advocates, are intended to improve access among harder-to-reach populations. However, these approaches will need to demonstrate clear, measurable outcomes to secure ongoing support – particularly as rising demand for financial support services and gambling-related debt, as highlighted in GamCare & PayPlan Report £7.2M Debt, 21K Seek Help, places additional pressure on intervention frameworks.

Key operational challenges

Key operational challenges include converting early-stage engagement into sustained treatment pathways, proving cost-effectiveness at scale, and avoiding duplication with existing services delivered by local authorities and NHS-linked providers. The emphasis on early intervention also mirrors growing regulatory pressure on operators to identify and address harm at earlier stages, creating parallel demands on publicly funded services to handle increased referral volumes.

Sector Coordination and Competitive Positioning

Coordination across stakeholders

The award places GamCare within a broader ecosystem of OHID-funded organisations, increasing the importance of coordination across local and national stakeholders. Effective collaboration will be critical to ensuring consistent service delivery and avoiding fragmentation.

Evolving funding landscape

For suppliers and service providers, the evolving funding landscape signals a shift toward more formalised procurement processes. Access to future funding is likely to depend on the ability to demonstrate measurable outcomes and align with evidence-based commissioning criteria, rather than relying on historical presence or brand recognition.Subject to final agreement, programme delivery is expected to commence in April 2026.

Source: GamCare