Five lessons for creating a future free from gambling harms

Lesson 1: Values-based approaches are transformative

GambleAware’s work was anchored in a clear set of values: collaboration, independence, transparency, and a commitment to improving lives. These values acted as a compass during moments of growth, scrutiny, and strategic decision‑making, shaping everything from strengthened governance and commissioning processes to bold public health advocacy.

Crucially, this value-driven approach kept attention centred on the people most affected by gambling harm. Through research, campaigning, and partnership‑building, GambleAware helped highlight the wide‑ranging, interconnected impacts of gambling on individuals, families, and communities.

This helped reframe gambling harm as a systemic public health issue rather than an individual failing, shifting national understanding and laying the groundwork for more coordinated, population-level responses.

Lesson 2: Independence is essential for credibility

GambleAware operated under a funding model in which voluntary donations from gambling operators were collected and dispersed. As a result, the organisation faced sustained scrutiny about its independence from the gambling industry. At the time, GambleAware was already on a deliberate and long-term journey to strengthen its independence.

Internally, GambleAware restructured its governance, removed industry representatives from its Board, introduced stricter donation protocols, and increased transparency around how its funding was used. These steps were part of a wider effort to build a more robust, accountable, and public‑health‑driven organisation.

Together, these reforms helped reinforce GambleAware’s position as a credible, impartial voice in a highly contested space.

Although external perceptions did not disappear entirely, GambleAware’s commitment to strengthening its independence allowed it to take principled positions, provide trusted leadership, and support the shift toward the statutory levy that will now replace the voluntary model it operated underneath.

Lesson 3: Integration is a cornerstone of system coherence

When GambleAware assumed its role, support for gambling harms was spread across multiple different organisations, inconsistently funded, and lacked coordination on a national level.

Through sustained investment and strategic commissioning, GambleAware helped bring greater coherence to the landscape, introducing shared outcomes and standards, strengthening national pathways, and aligning previously disconnected services.

Central to this was the development of the National Gambling Support Network, which brought a national helpline, digital, and face‑to‑face service delivery into a more unified framework. Alongside investment in third‑sector capability, these efforts helped turn a fragmented system into one that could respond more consistently and effectively to people seeking support.

Lesson 4: Lived experience leadership should be a core principle of system design

A major turning point in GambleAware’s journey was embedding lived experience into the heart of governance, commissioning, and service development. Through the Lived Experience Council (a group advising GambleAware based on first‑hand experience), investment in community‑led initiatives (funding grassroots projects designed and run by affected communities), and support for groups like GLEN and ALERTS (peer‑led networks for people with lived experience), the charity ensured that people directly affected by gambling harms influenced key decisions.

Treating lived experience as expertise strengthened the sector’s understanding of harm and improved the accessibility, relevance, and responsiveness of services. It also set a precedent for future system design in this field.

Lesson 5: Adaptability and organisational resilience are foundations for growth

GambleAware’s transition from a small grant‑maker to a national system leader required a high degree of adaptability. The charity expanded its remit rapidly while facing increasing expectations and ongoing public scrutiny. This period demanded significant internal development. Governance and assurance processes evolved and new data, evidence, and operational systems were introduced, all while GambleAware continued delivering core commissioning and prevention work.

Despite these pressures, GambleAware consolidated its structures, invested in evidence, and maintained a strong commitment to learning.

This resilience enabled the organisation to operate effectively during a period of major system transformation and to play a stabilising role as the sector prepares for new leadership and foundational change.

GambleAware’s experience highlights the progress made across the system and the opportunities now ahead for commissioners, policymakers, and partners.
Its legacy offers practical lessons and strategic reflections that can support the next phase of national leadership.