UK Government Introduces Emergency Funding Boost for Gambling Harm Services

The UK government has introduced an emergency funding boost to support gambling harm organisations as they transition to the new statutory levy system. With concerns growing over potential service disruption, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has stepped in with a short-term solution. It is designed to maintain continuity across frontline support services.

Emergency funding introduced to bridge levy gap

The UK government has rolled out a last-minute funding initiative to support gambling harms organisations that were not allocated funding under the new statutory levy.

Eligible organisations have until the end of April to apply for support through the Gambling Levy Transition Fund. The scheme will be administered by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). Funds will be distributed on a pro-rata basis.

Funding will begin on 1 April and run for three months. Organisations approved after this date will still be able to backdate claims to the start of April. Payments are expected to be made in arrears. This is after the submission of valid grant claims at the end of June.

‘Targeted’ support to prevent disruption

The DCMS said the fund had been “rapidly established” to provide immediate and targeted financial support during a critical transition period.

According to the department, tight commissioning timelines created a risk of funding gaps across the sector. This raised concerns that vulnerable service users could lose access to essential support.

The government stated that the scheme is designed to prevent disruption while the industry shifts from the previous voluntary funding model to a statutory levy system.

Eligibility criteria and application requirements

To qualify for support, organisations must meet several conditions. These are linked to previous funding and current activity.

Applicants must:

• Have received funding through the industry-led voluntary system between April 2024 and March 2026.
• They must also demonstrate that they were delivering relevant services in March 2026 to support individuals affected by gambling harms in England.

Organisations must also have applied for funding via the Gambling Harms Prevention VCSE Grant Fund or the Gambling Harms Treatment VCSE Grant Fund. Their applications must be fully rejected.

Requests can be submitted before final decisions on treatment funding are confirmed. Only unsuccessful applicants will ultimately be assessed.

Organisations already receiving funding for the same services from other sources will not be eligible to claim duplicate costs.

Managing the transition to a statutory levy

The introduction of the statutory gambling levy is a significant shift in how funding for harm prevention and treatment services happens in the UK.

The DCMS acknowledged that the transition may reshape the current delivery landscape. It emphasised the importance of maintaining service continuity to avoid negatively impacting those relying on support.

In cases where organisations cannot claim due to limited unrestricted reserves, the department said it may consider making payments at the point of need, provided sufficient evidence is supplied.

The temporary fund is expected to play a key role in stabilising the sector while the new levy system becomes fully operational.

“It is the intention of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to ensure that there is an effective transition between these arrangements, ensuring service users and beneficiary groups are not negatively affected by this period of change.” - DCMS