Compliance
GambleAware
Definition
A former UK charity that commissioned gambling harm research, prevention and treatment, funded mainly by voluntary industry contributions. Its work passed to new commissioners under the statutory levy system introduced in 2025.
Key takeaways
- GambleAware was the central charity in Britain's voluntary system, commissioning treatment, research and prevention.
- Its work passed to statutory levy commissioners: NHS England for treatment, OHID for prevention and UKRI for research.
- The GambleAware brand and website now sit with OHID, the prevention commissioner for England.
Why it matters
GambleAware was the central institution in the UK's voluntary harm-reduction framework. It received the largest share of the industry's voluntary research, education, and treatment levy contributions and used the funding to commission treatment services, including the National Gambling Support Network, fund research, and run public awareness campaigns such as "Let's Open Up About Gambling". The better-known "When the fun stops, stop" slogan was an industry campaign rather than a GambleAware one, and the Betting and Gaming Council replaced it with "Take Time to Think" in October 2021.
The UK government replaced the voluntary contribution model with a statutory levy, which commenced in April 2025 and is collected by the Gambling Commission. Funding is split between UKRI for research (20%), OHID and the Scottish and Welsh governments for prevention (30%), and NHS England and the Scottish and Welsh governments for treatment (50%). GambleAware wound down as its work transitioned to these commissioners, and its prevention resources, including the GambleAware brand and website, passed to OHID. For B2B and B2C operators, the practical impact is that contributions are now a statutory levy, set for most operators as a percentage of gross gambling yield, rather than a voluntary payment, and the direction of funded work is set by public bodies rather than an industry-funded charity.
Sources
- About GambleAware - GambleAware
- Statutory gambling levy - GOV.UK (DCMS)
- BGC launches new 'Take Time To Think' campaign - Betting and Gaming Council
Frequently asked questions
How was GambleAware funded?
Mainly through voluntary contributions from gambling operators, which were expected to give a share of their revenue for research, education and treatment. The statutory levy, which commenced in April 2025 and is collected by the Gambling Commission, replaced that model with mandatory payments, set for most operators as a percentage of gross gambling yield and allocated 50% to treatment, 30% to prevention and 20% to research. GambleAware's work passed to NHS England, OHID and UKRI.
Was GambleAware independent of the industry?
It had independent governance as a charity, but its funding came from the industry, which was a recurring source of debate about perceived conflict of interest. The statutory levy was partly intended to remove that perception: funding is now collected by the Gambling Commission and allocated by public bodies, rather than paid voluntarily by operators to an industry-funded charity.