The Department of Health and Social Care has opened expressions of interest for the new fund, designed to assist voluntary and community sector organisations engaged in gambling harm reduction work. The initiative will run for two years and forms a critical component of the transition to the government’s forthcoming statutory levy system. According to officials, the programme aims to bring stability to a sector that has faced prolonged funding uncertainty and uneven resource distribution.
The fund is divided into three strands: a core prevention delivery allocation supporting direct community-level activities, an innovation and evidence strand encouraging new or adapted approaches, and a resilience and systems capacity fund focused on organisational development. Individual organisations can apply for grants ranging from £5,000 to £2m. The expression of interest period closes on 9 January, with full applications accepted from 12 January. Funding decisions are expected in March and April, with initial payments released from April onwards.
A notable component of the programme is the requirement for organisations to demonstrate a commitment to achieving industry-free funding status by 2030. While officials emphasised a pragmatic approach during the transition period, new restrictions will apply from April 2026, when grant recipients will be prohibited from accepting industry funding. National Lottery funds, however, will be exempt initially.
The government has also indicated plans to introduce a digital reporting solution after April 2026 to support monitoring and compliance. A stocktake conducted earlier this year found substantial variation in prevention capacity across local authorities, reinforcing the need for consistent national support.
The fund represents a substantial step toward modernising the UK’s approach to gambling harm prevention and establishing a more sustainable, independent funding model.
