GambleAware to Receive £11M in Funding as UK Introduces Statutory Levy

As the UK gambling reforms continue, lawmakers have decided to give £11 million to GambleAware to help it tackle harm. This money would come from the proceeds collected via Britain’s new levy on gambling.

The Future of RET Funding Has Changed

The somewhat controversial statutory levy will require operators to provide a portion of their revenue for problem gambling research, prevention and treatment (RET). The new levy will replace the voluntary donations system under which operators have been able to choose how much to donate.

Operators have argued that the levy would have a disproportionate effect on smaller companies and would change a system that they argued didn’t need fixing in the first place. Proponents, however, expect the levy to generate up to £100 million for RET initiatives a year, exceeding previous voluntary contributions. In addition to that, obligatory payments would end the RET sector’s controversial relationship with the gambling industry, which has previously been scrutinized by critics.

The levy was introduced earlier this year, with operators preparing to make their first payments by October 1. In 2030, the government will review whether the new RET funding framework has had the intended effect and whether changes are needed.

GambleAware to Receive One-Time Funding

In Wales, Sarah Murphy MS, Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing, commented on the levy, revealing some details about the distribution of the money. In addition to disclosing that Wales would receive £5 million of the levy funds a year, she noted the way in which GambleAware is funded would need to change.

As a cornerstone for the funding of various treatment initiatives, GambleAware is set to receive a maximum of £11 million of levy funding. This money will be crucial to helping GambleAware navigate the transition from voluntary donations to the new system.

Murphy clarified that this transitional funding would be for this year only in order to provide stability to GambleAware. According to her, this money would ensure that there is no disruption to the NGSN and that access to treatment is not discontinued.

In the meantime, Murphy said that she and other ministers across the UK have agreed that the research element of the RET funding would be overseen by the UKRI in partnership with Welsh Government officials and Public Health Wales.