(AsiaGameHub) –   GamCare anticipates that the provisional grant of over £4m from the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) VCSE Gambling Harms Prevention and Resilience Fund will enable the charity to ‘bridge the divide between harm and assistance for thousands’.

With this funding, slated for the 2026-2028 period, the charity plans to launch two specific initiatives: a community outreach project and specialized assistance for individuals impacted by the gambling habits of others. Pending final confirmation, both services are scheduled to commence in April 2026.

Backed by the prevention component of the statutory gambling operator levy, OHID has recently distributed £25.4m among 33 voluntary, community, and social enterprise groups that offer gambling harm support throughout England.

Victoria Corbishley, CEO of GamCare, stated: “Once finalized, this provisional funding will assist us in narrowing the gap between harm and help for thousands of individuals throughout England.

“Whether an individual is personally struggling or seeking to assist a family member, they are entitled to receive prompt, empathetic, and expert care.”

GamCare’s planned use of OHID funds

The community outreach initiative will deploy dedicated professionals across London, the South East, the East Midlands, and Yorkshire and the Humber, with a primary focus on engaging diverse and marginalized populations through collaborations with grassroots and specialist providers.

GamCare explained that these outreach staff will ‘conduct awareness campaigns, structured early-intervention dialogues, and referral assistance, all aimed at connecting with individuals at the earliest opportunity’.

Furthermore, individuals with personal experience within these communities will be hired and trained to foster sustainable local support networks.

The national program for those affected by others’ gambling seeks to assist the estimated four million people in England who may be dealing with the repercussions of someone else’s gambling without necessarily recognizing the root cause.

Assistance will be delivered through professional training, peer support groups, and digital resources. The initiative aims to shorten the path from harm to recovery by providing customized, expert support, particularly for underserved communities.

GamCare expressed enthusiasm about collaborating with other grant recipients to establish a unified approach to addressing gambling harm across England.

This effort includes coordination with local councils, following the recent distribution of £12m to metropolitan boroughs, unitary authorities, London boroughs, and county councils.

“Approximately one out of every seven calls to the GamCare National Gambling Helpline originates from someone impacted by another person’s gambling, and we recognize the critical need to reach and assist more people in these circumstances,” Corbishley remarked.

“This investment would enable us to achieve that, while also developing the insights and evidence necessary to bolster the sector’s response for the future.”

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