Reflections from the GambleAware showcase event

GambleAware is the leading independent charity and strategic commissioner of gambling harms education, prevention,  and treatment across Great Britain. It has been funded through a 5% voluntary levy on the gambling industry, which is used to commission services, build an evidence base, support the workforce, and collaborate with the NHS, voluntary sector organisations, and people with lived experience.  

Following the UK Government’s decision to replace the voluntary levy with a new 10% statutory levy and introduce a new statutory framework, GambleAware will close in March 2026. This marks a significant policy shift and an important period of transition and uncertainty for organisations across the sector, especially regarding how prevention, treatment and lived-experience expertise will be carried forward.  

In a period of significant transition for the gambling harm sector, GambleAware, in partnership with New Philanthropy Capital (NPC) and Ipsos, recently hosted a Showcasing & Networking Event. The event brought together projects from three of GambleAware’s key funding programmes, representing work across the community-led responses, support for women, religious and minority ethnic communities, and longer-term recovery support. The discussions were rich and collaborative, revealing several key themes shaping the future of gambling harm prevention and support. 

Panelists share insights during a lively discussion at the Gamble Aware Showcasing and Networking event.

Addressing diverse needs and experiences

The event also highlighted that different people experience gambling harm in very different ways with wider determinants of health playing a key role in people’s experiences. A panel on women and gambling harm, for instance, shed light on the unique challenges women can face, including stigma, isolation, and the pressures of caring responsibilities. The discussion introduced the concept of a “triple taboo”—the intersection of economic abuse, financial abuse, and gambling harms—as a significant barrier to seeking help.  

One participant’s reflection, “because we had never known, we never asked,” served as a powerful call to action for services such as GPs and domestic abuse organisations to become more proactive in these conversations.

Similarly, discussions on minority ethnic and religious communities highlighted the need for culturally-informed support. Key strategies identified included training community champions in trusted spaces like schools and mosques and ensuring that people can “see people who look like them” in support services to foster a sense of safety and understanding, while increasing awareness and building trust. Another powerful panel presentation explored gambling harm within Black London communities. The project lead shared a childhood memory of watching elders (“uncles”) in his community regularly visit local gambling premises – a familiar part of daily life. Yet, he reflected, while gambling itself was normalised, conversations about its harms were not.  

This project, among many others, aims to break the silence by normalising conversations and creating culturally informed, trusted spaces for support. Through community workshops, peer-led discussions and partnerships with local leaders, the project is helping to make talking about gambling harm as ordinary as gambling itself once was. This was a powerful reminder that change begins with conversation and that when communities talk, stigma fades.  

A whole system approach: beyond the individual

There was strong agreement on the need to move beyond viewing gambling harm in isolation. Many speakers emphasised its ’ripple effects’, which impact families, partners, and wider communities. This has led to a greater focus on a ’whole-system’ approach, where working with and through family and community networks is seen as key to building trust and providing effective support. 

This broader perspective also means addressing the root causes of harm. As a speaker noted, support conversations often focus on other areas of a person’s life, not just gambling. This reflects a growing understanding that gambling is often a coping mechanism for other underlying issues, or experiences of trauma.  

The idea that “people get well in communities” was a powerful and recurring sentiment, highlighting the importance of local, trusted support systems alongside clinical treatment.

The projects in the room are facilitating referrals into treatment systems for more women and people from minority communities than previously. Their role is critical in ensuring these communities remain visible within the support and treatment system across Great Britain during this transition period.

The central role of lived experience

A consistent theme throughout the day was the essential role of lived experience. Described by participants as the “golden strand” of this work, there is a clear consensus that moving beyond tokenistic gestures to genuinely co-producing services with those who have experienced gambling harm is vital for building trust and ensuring authenticity.  

This point was powerfully illustrated by one project lead, who shared her own brave and deeply personal journey in her panel presentation. In reflecting on her work, she disclosed the realisation that she too had experienced gambling harm (as an affected other) – an insight that emerged through the process of supporting others. Her openness captured the spirit of the day: that lived experience is not only a source of insight, but a catalyst for empathy, authenticity and meaningful change. 

More information on good practice, is available on the Gambling Lived Experience Network (GLEN) and GambleAware’s approach to embedding lived experience meaningfully across services. 

Navigating a changing landscape

With the upcoming closure of GambleAware and the transition to a new statutory levy system, there were understandable questions and concerns about the future. Many wondered how the extensive knowledge and specialised focus built over years, particularly for minority communities, will be maintained. 

Yet, this uncertainty was met not with despair, but with a proactive and determined spirit. The day was filled with calls to action: to mobilise, to engage with new commissioning bodies like the NHS and Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID), and to make the case for continued funding by demonstrating wider societal impacts, such as cost savings in homelessness and domestic abuse services. The event served as a crucial forum to consolidate learning and strengthen the collaborative relationships needed to navigate the changes ahead.  

It was a reminder that while systems may evolve, the sector’s collective expertise and commitment are what will continue to drive progress in reducing gambling harms from the past decade into the next and beyond. Across the day a number of themes surfaced focusing on what needs to be protected and prioritised in the new commissioning landscape:  

• Embed lived experience in governance, not just delivery. 

• Invest in family and community-based models. 

• Prioritise culturally informed and gender informed approaches 

• Protect sector knowledge through transition. 

Taken together, these reflections underline the need for the new system to build upon and strengthen the support for people affected by gambling harm during this transition period.