GamCare ends youth gambling harm service due to funding

GamCare, a prominent UK-based organisation focused on addressing gambling-related harm, has announced plans to discontinue its Young People’s service by the close of September 2025. The decision, attributed to an ongoing “lack of sustainable funding,” will bring an end to over five years of specialised support aimed at children, adolescents, and families affected by gambling-related harms.

This closure marks a significant shift in the landscape of gambling harm intervention services for young people, particularly at a time when broader concerns are being raised about funding models and government support in the UK’s evolving gambling policy framework.

History and impact of GamCare’s youth services

GamCare launched its Young People’s Service in response to growing evidence that gambling was increasingly impacting minors and adolescents in the UK. This service included prevention and early intervention programmes, support for parents and guardians, and professional training for those working with at-risk youth. GamCare’s outreach work in schools, community organisations, and digital platforms played a vital role in educating young people about the risks associated with gambling and gaming-related behaviour.

The service was widely regarded within the third-sector as an important complement to statutory services, offering tailored and non-judgmental support to individuals who might otherwise fall through the cracks of mainstream provision. The initiative also contributed to policy discussions by sharing anonymised data, research findings, and youth perspectives.

GamCare confirmed that although the direct service is ending, it intends to maintain its Youth Advisory Board, a consultative forum composed of young people who provide insights and lived experience to help shape the organisation’s wider work. This indicates a continued, if more limited, engagement with youth stakeholders.

Statement from GamCare

In its official communication, GamCare acknowledged the impact the service has had over the years and reaffirmed its broader commitment to addressing gambling harm. “GamCare remains committed to reducing gambling harm and none of our other services are affected by this change,” the statement noted.

While the charity did not offer detailed financial disclosures in its public remarks, the reference to a “lack of sustainable funding” suggests a broader challenge in accessing long-term, secure financial resources for youth-specific interventions. This is particularly relevant in the context of recent reforms to the UK gambling regulatory and funding framework.

Introduction of statutory levy adds pressure

The timing of this announcement follows shortly after the implementation of the UK’s statutory levy on gambling operators, a policy change that is intended to provide more consistent funding for gambling harm reduction, education, and treatment. Under the new system, licensed gambling firms must contribute a fixed percentage of their revenues toward approved harm reduction initiatives.

While the levy has been welcomed in principle by many stakeholders, its structure and execution have faced criticism from several corners of the third sector. Organisations such as GamCare, alongside others involved in public health and addiction services, have raised concerns about the potential for centralised funding decisions to limit the flexibility and responsiveness of support services.

Critics argue that smaller or more specialist services—such as those targeting youth or marginalised communities—may be overlooked in favour of more generalist approaches, or that the allocation of funds may be overly bureaucratic, slow, or politically influenced.

Reaction from the third sector

The broader response to GamCare’s decision from within the charitable and third-sector space has been one of concern. Youth-focused mental health and public health professionals have expressed worry that the closure will leave a gap in services for a particularly vulnerable demographic, particularly at a time when gambling-like features in digital environments are proliferating.

Although other charities and NHS services continue to provide support for gambling addiction, few offer youth-specific programmes with the same scale and reach as GamCare’s. The integration of gambling risk into broader adolescent well-being and safeguarding initiatives is still an emerging practice, and the loss of dedicated services may hinder progress in this area.

Moreover, professionals who work with young people have raised alarms over rising exposure to gambling content through social media, online influencers, and loot boxes in video games—all areas where targeted education is seen as essential. GamCare’s services were among the few that directly engaged young people in these contexts.

The regulatory context: balancing commercial and public health interests

The UK’s gambling sector is undergoing a period of regulatory transformation, spurred in part by the publication of the Gambling White Paper in 2023. Key reforms have included new affordability checks, online slot stake limits, and enhanced advertising restrictions. The statutory levy is a central pillar of the new approach, designed to replace the previous voluntary system which was seen as unpredictable and insufficient.

However, the shift from voluntary to statutory funding has introduced transitional challenges. Funding pathways have become more centralised, and some previously funded services have struggled to align with the new administrative processes or eligibility criteria. In this climate, services that address specific, lower-profile demographics—like youth—may find it more difficult to secure funding, even if their social value is widely recognised.

GamCare’s experience highlights a fundamental tension in the regulatory system: how to ensure that funding mechanisms are both accountable and inclusive of niche but critical services. Some sector experts have called for earmarked funding within the levy structure to protect youth and vulnerable group services, or for hybrid models that include matched funding from other public health or educational departments.

Youth gambling risk remains a pressing issue

Recent studies underscore the continued relevance of youth-focused gambling harm interventions. The 2024 UK Youth Gambling Survey, for instance, found that more than 10% of adolescents aged 11–16 reported engaging in some form of gambling within the past year. While many did so informally—through family, peers, or gaming environments—others accessed gambling via online platforms.

Additionally, gambling-like features embedded in online games, such as loot boxes and skin betting, have blurred the boundaries between gaming and gambling. These mechanisms often involve spending real money on virtual items with unpredictable outcomes, a dynamic that mimics slot machines or scratch cards and may serve as a gateway to more traditional forms of gambling later in life.

In this context, early intervention and education are widely viewed by academics and clinicians as key tools in preventing long-term harm. The withdrawal of a prominent service like GamCare’s youth programme raises questions about the overall capacity of the UK system to respond effectively to emerging risks.

The way forward: what is needed?

GamCare’s decision has renewed calls for a more coherent and sustainable funding strategy for gambling harm reduction, especially for youth services. Recommendations from public health advocates and sector organisations include:

• Dedicated funding streams within the statutory levy for youth-specific programmes
• Cross-departmental coordination involving education, health, and digital policy makers
• Greater transparency in how levy funds are allocated and monitored
• Support for innovation in outreach and digital engagement with young people
• Youth participation in shaping and evaluating intervention strategies

As GamCare transitions out of youth provision, it remains to be seen whether other organisations—either within the third sector or through public bodies—will fill the gap. In the absence of a replacement, concerns may grow about the long-term social and psychological consequences of leaving young people under-supported in this area.

Conclusion

The closure of GamCare’s Young People’s service underscores the fragility of essential public health interventions that depend on external and often inconsistent funding. Despite the programme’s acknowledged value in preventing and addressing gambling harm among children and adolescents, it has become a casualty of structural funding shortcomings and transitional policy reforms.

While the introduction of the UK’s statutory levy on gambling operators aims to create a more reliable support system for harm reduction, the early consequences of this shift suggest gaps remain—particularly for niche and youth-focused services. GamCare’s withdrawal from direct youth engagement leaves a significant void that may not be easily filled, raising urgent questions about the capacity of the current system to safeguard vulnerable populations from gambling-related risks.

To move forward, it is imperative that funding mechanisms become more inclusive, strategic, and responsive. This includes not only securing sustainable financial support for youth-specific programmes but also involving young people in policy design, ensuring cross-sector collaboration, and recognising the evolving nature of gambling risks in the digital age.

As the sector adapts to new regulatory frameworks, the importance of protecting younger generations from gambling-related harm must remain a priority—not just in policy rhetoric, but through tangible, adequately funded action.

FAQs

Why is GamCare ending its Young People’s service?
GamCare is discontinuing its Young People’s service due to a lack of sustainable funding, despite the programme’s impact over five years.

Is GamCare stopping all its services?
No, only the youth-focused provision is ending. GamCare’s adult support services and other programmes remain active.

What was the purpose of GamCare’s youth service?
The service aimed to educate, prevent, and support children and young people affected by gambling harm, including parents and professionals.

Will GamCare continue working with young people in any capacity?
Yes, GamCare will maintain its Youth Advisory Board to ensure young people’s voices remain part of its overall strategic planning.

What is the statutory levy on gambling?
It’s a government-mandated contribution from gambling operators to fund education, prevention, and treatment of gambling harm.

How does the statutory levy affect charities like GamCare?
The new structure may favour larger or generalist services, making it harder for niche services like youth programmes to secure funding.

What concerns have charities raised about the levy?
Many argue that it centralises decision-making and may overlook specialist interventions or innovative local programmes.

Are there any other services offering youth gambling harm support?
Some charities and NHS services offer related help, but few have the dedicated youth focus that GamCare’s programme provided.

Is youth gambling a growing problem in the UK?
Yes, recent surveys show increasing gambling behaviour among children and teens, including through online gaming and social platforms.

What can be done to protect young people from gambling harm?
Experts recommend early education, tighter regulation of gambling-like features in games, and targeted intervention services.