National gambling support network GambleAware has released its final legacy report ahead of its planned closure next month.
Since 2002, the charity has played a key role in the UK’s gambling harm treatment ecosystem, while also influencing how gambling harm is perceived in the country.
GambleAware’s primary function for over two decades was as chief commissioner of gambling harm research, education and treatment projects, funded via a voluntary industry contribution.
However, the charity has now found itself helping prepare the sector for a major shift to statutory commissioning. The Gambling Act review set up a mandatory levy for research, education and treatment (RET), which operators have to pay into each year – but GambleAware was not chosen as commissioner of these funds.
As it prepares to close its operation following government reforms, the report outlined its contribution to establishing gambling harm as a public health issue and warned of potential risks as responsibility transfers to government-backed bodies.
GambleAware celebrates legacy…
A central theme of GambleAware’s legacy is its contribution to establishing gambling harm as a public health concern rather than solely an issue of individual responsibility.
The report stated that GambleAware worked to challenge the normalisation of gambling and raise awareness of its potential harms. It emphasised that gambling harm affects not only individuals but also families, communities and society more broadly.
This shift helped promote the view that gambling harm should be addressed through coordinated prevention, education and treatment strategies. GambleAware supported research, education and service provision aimed at increasing understanding of gambling-related harm and improving access to support.
According to the report, this work contributed to greater recognition of gambling harm within public health and healthcare systems. It also supported the development of structured services designed to prevent harm and provide treatment to those affected.
… and prepares for change
The report comes at a key time and one of structural change within the UK in how gambling awareness services are funded and commissioned. As mentioned above, GambleAware was not chosen to maintain its role as RET commissioner.
Instead, NHS England was chosen to oversee gambling treatment funds, though it is not clear which organisation will take on this role following the planned abolition of NHS England by the Labour government.
The other functions, prevention funding and research funding, are being taken on by the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), respectively.
Regardless, this responsibility will now shift to statutory bodies, marking the end of a 24 year period of GambleAware being the central commissioner of treatment, prevention and research.
The organisation played a role in building a national infrastructure for gambling harm support, including funding services and contributing to awareness initiatives, which it states helped strengthen the overall system of prevention and treatment in the UK.
These efforts helped to ensure that gambling harm was increasingly recognised as a serious issue requiring a coordinated and evidence-based response. The charity was a particularly vocal proponent of seeing gambling recognised as a public health issue, an argument that has found strong favour among MPs and local politicians in 2026.
The report also highlighted GambleAware’s involvement in preparing for the transition to a statutory commissioning model. This transition follows reforms introduced as part of wider changes to the regulation and oversight of gambling harm services.
The charity’s role has included supporting the development of the existing system and contributing to preparations for the transition.
GambleAware’s parting words of advice
With the transition underway, GambleAware is asserting that stability across prevention, treatment and research services is a key priority as responsibilities shift to new commissioners. It has also identified the importance of preserving knowledge and expertise developed over more than 20 years.
The organisation has emphasised the need for coordination between organisations involved in delivering gambling harm services, stating that effective collaboration will be important to ensure that services continue to operate effectively under the new commissioning arrangements.
GambleAware also noted that it has worked with stakeholders across the system as part of the transition process. This has included engagement with service providers and other organisations involved in delivering prevention and treatment programmes.
The transition away from GambleAware and to the trio of state bodies will be a big adjustment for UK gambling, for research and harm prevention organisations, and for consumers alike. The charity’s logo has become widely recognised on operator marketing and in shop windows, for example.
As GambleAware prepares to close, the charity is leaving with its head held high, concluding that its work has contributed to the development of a national system for addressing gambling harm.
The charity is confident that its efforts helped establish gambling harm as a recognised public health issue and supported the creation of prevention, treatment and research programmes. It has also highlighted its role in supporting the development of services and raising awareness of gambling harm across the health system.
This includes the creation of the National Gambling Support Network (NGSN), which is supported by 22 other national organisations, including Nationwide bank and the Football Supporters’ Association (FSA). The network, launched in 2023, provides free treatment, advice and support on multiple gambling-related issues.
While GambleAware’s role is ending, the report indicated that the systems, services and approaches developed during its operation will continue under the new framework in what is quickly becoming a much-discussed sector in the country.