GambleAware announced last week that it was shuttering its operations by March 2026 due to the introduction of the statutory levy in Britain.
The charity said that the work it has delivered in the past will now be transitioned to the UK government and the new commissioners for gambling harms research, prevention and treatment (RET) across England, Scotland and Wales.
The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) will assume the position of commissioner for RET funds, which has caused some concern among those in the sector.
GambleAware chair of trustees Andy Boucher noted in the announcement that the charity had advocated for the incoming system, which will see UK operators contribute between 0.1% and 1.1% of their gross gambling yield.
However, though GambleAware’s future remained uncertain due to the changing of the levy, its closure has left many in the gambling charity sector concerned about the future of players who would have reached out to GambleAware for help, as well as those working for the organisation.
Following the announcement, EGR sought the reaction of those working in the responsible gambling sector for their thoughts on the news.
Duncan Garvie, co-founder of Betblocker
“I’m really saddened to hear about the winding-up of GambleAware. GambleAware has been at the forefront of best practice in the gambling sector for years. It is a true shame that this talented and knowledgeable team will no longer be available to coordinate and support harm minimisation efforts in the UK.
“Speaking for BetBlocker specifically, GambleAware is largely to credit for BetBlocker’s success. At a point when our organisation was at its most vulnerable and we were struggling to engage with other stakeholders in the sector, GambleAware’s team took the time to listen to our concerns and find ways to support our work.
“We’re now on track to support over 20,000 active users in the UK this year, and 250,000 worldwide. That would never have happened if it wasn’t for GambleAware.
“I truly hope that their team is quickly snapped up by the incoming funding commissioners and other stakeholders, as it would be a huge loss to the sector if the wealth of expertise this organisation had gathered was not redeployed.”
Rob Mabbett, engagement director for Better change
“I think it is terribly sad for those losing their jobs and for the industry in the fact that this is another example of expertise lost in the field of tackling gambling harm following on from the closure of GamCare’s safer gambling team and its young person’s service.
“It was a surprise to read this so soon after the launch of GambleAware’s new app, which must have been created at some cost.
“I am not privy to the conversations behind closed doors but without any clear plan or strategy so far from new commissioners OHID or the NHS, I wonder why the trigger was pulled on GambleAware so quickly.
“Its campaigns have been important in raising awareness to the masses in the past, and their research and annual conferences have helped develop understanding of gambling harm.
“It’s all speculation on my part I am afraid, but I do fear for other services while we are in this period of political jostling. I am worried that we are going to lose sight of what is important which is our understanding of gambling harm, our strategy for preventing it and our ability to treat it. We have increased funding significantly but seem to be taking a huge step backwards.”
Jordan Lea, CEO of Deal Me Out
“GambleAware’s structured closure is a great concern for the wider sector. Their brand is the most recognisable to the public. To remove this community-integrated name from the system is dangerous.
“The government should have left the RET system in place until the new system was ready. Instead, it’s expected charities to run on air.
“The statutory levy was the worst kept secret of the white paper into the Gambling Act 2005 review, forcing organisations to cut back and prepare for a potential exodus way before its implementation.
“We have seen over 200 job losses already from our sector. Without immediate governmental intervention, I predict we will see more organisations close or move into other areas and hundreds more jobs lost.”
The post Industry reaction to GambleAware’s impending closure first appeared on EGR Intel.
Responsible gambling sector experts tell EGR the upcoming shuttering of the gambling harm prevention charity is a concern amid a loss of expertise in research, treatment and education
The post Industry reaction to GambleAware’s impending closure first appeared on EGR Intel.