THE DEPARTMENT of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has announced a provisional allocation of £25.4m to organisations working to prevent gambling-related harm and build resilience to gambling addiction. The funding is intended for a two-year period spanning 2026–2028, and will be awarded to 33 voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations operating in England. These are voluntary, community and social enterprise bodies that carry out research, awareness-raising and direct support for those affected.
The programme is based on a fundamentally new source of funding. Since April last year, the country has had a statutory levy on gambling operators, replacing the previous voluntary contributions. This mechanism enables the state not to rely on the goodwill of bookmakers and casinos, and to channel funding in a planned, sustained way into prevention and harm reduction.
What entertainment options in the iGaming segment are the most popular?
Such a rapid increase in the number of online casino players is mainly due to the accessibility of games, and most importantly, their variety. Developers of such entertainment understand that a wide range of genres and gameplay options allows them to reach new generations of players, which is crucial for the future of the industry.
The most popular titles by number of players are now on par with video games. We have studied search query statistics and data from several popular industry websites and have learned about the increasing popularity of Aviator, Jet-X, and Plinko. Live games, which allow interaction with live dealers, are approaching them in popularity. Experts from one of the informational iGaming portals told us that in recent months, the audience of Funky Time online has been actively growing. Moreover, this growth is observed not only in the United Kingdom, but also in a number of other countries in Europe and North America.
The success of such titles not only inspires investors but also raises concerns among experts. Some experts fear that children and people with problematic gambling behavior may gain access to these games.
Who does what under the new framework
DHSC is the programme’s architect: the department sets the framework, defines priorities and publishes decisions. Operational work on allocating funds and overseeing procedures is carried out by the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID), which sits within the department’s structure. This division of functions makes it possible to separate strategic planning from competitive grant processes.
OHID emphasises that all decisions on the allocation of funds were made strictly in accordance with the published eligibility and assessment criteria.
A three-stage screening process for applicants
The selection procedure looked as follows:
- Applications were accepted within a closed application window from January to February 2026.-
- Each application was assessed against pre-published criteria, after which applicants underwent due diligence checks.
- All participants were required to declare any potential conflicts of interest and commit to stop accepting direct funding from the gambling industry starting in April 2026. The only exception is for funding from the National Lottery and society lotteries.
In addition, OHID required applicants to review and update materials and methodologies that had previously been developed with support from voluntary contributions, including via GambleAware. The purpose of this requirement is for the new stage of the programme to begin on an updated methodological foundation.
Who is set to receive the largest grants
The published list is provisional in nature, but it already makes it possible to assess the scale of support. The largest recipients:
- GamCare — £4.04m
- Young Gamers and Gamblers Education Trust (YGAM) — £3.00m
- Betknowmore — £2.99m
- BetBlocker — £1.12m
Citizens Advice offices and regional VCSE organisations will receive amounts ranging from £140,000 to £1.3m.
Why GamCare was in the spotlight
GamCare’s grant was the largest in the provisional list, which is unsurprising. The organisation created the National Gambling Helpline and remains central to the support system for people with gambling addiction. Further context comes from recent data from GamCare itself: according to its estimates, students involved in gambling lose an average of around £50 a week.
Strategy, not just funding
According to DHSC’s wording, the grants are intended to support “equitable and innovative prevention strategies” and at the same time build the capacity of VCSE organisations to deliver sustainable, long-term projects. This is not just about one-off funding, but about building a support infrastructure.
However, OHID notes that all allocations remain provisional until grant agreements are finalised, and the names of recipients and amounts may still be adjusted.
£12m for the local government level
In parallel with grants for VCSE organisations, the government announced the allocation of £12m from the same statutory levy to upper-tier local authorities for the 2026/27 financial year. These funds are intended for the prevention and reduction of gambling-related harm at community level. At the same time, NHS England administers independent VCSE grants focused on the treatment of gambling addiction, which forms a multi-tier support system.
To receive the funds in full, successful applicants must stop accepting direct funding from the gambling industry from April 2026, and the payments themselves will be confirmed only after the final grant agreements are signed.
