GamCare has entered Britain’s new statutory gambling levy system with almost £16m in reserves, giving the National Gambling Helpline operator a financial cushion as the sector adjusts to a new public commissioning model.
The charity’s latest Trustee Report covers the final year of the voluntary levy and the first stage of the transition to statutory funding, which moved responsibility for gambling harm services to bodies including NHS England, the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), alongside equivalent organisations in Scotland and Wales.
GamCare chair Margot Daly said the board had to “hold the organisation’s nerve” as responsibility moved between five separate commissioning bodies operating at different stages of readiness.
Plenty of Uncertainty
GamCare continues to run the National Gambling Helpline and provide treatment in four English regions, while OHID has awarded more than £4m for expanded outreach. Funding also supports treatment and prevention services in Scotland.
The shift has reduced the flexibility previously provided by voluntary funding, according to GamCare, which said those contributions allowed it to respond quickly to emerging risks, test new approaches and support groups outside core commissioned services. It reported £19.9m in income during 2025/26, compared with £20.3m the previous year, while reserves increased from £11m to almost £16m. Trustees said the stronger position would help protect frontline services amid continuing uncertainty.
Another funding decision is already approaching. GamCare’s current NHS England treatment contracts run for only one year, meaning it will need to re-enter the commissioning process ahead of April 2027, potentially under a restructured NHS following plans to abolish NHS England.
Downtime Hit Gambling Harm Support
The transition has already had an impact on people seeking help. According to GamCare, hundreds of people experienced disruption to gambling harm support as funding and service arrangements changed. In some cases, the charity relied on its own infrastructure and financial reserves to ensure people were not turned away.
That experience has strengthened GamCare’s call for an early review of the new commissioning system, with chief executive Victoria Corbishley arguing that continuity of care depends on effective coordination between services and the organisations responsible for funding them.
More than 114,000 people contacted GamCare’s Helpline and digital services during 2025/26, generating over 11,400 onward referrals. Creating a statutory levy may have changed who pays for gambling harm services, but the harder task is still building a system capable of delivering them consistently.
