Newspapers from across the UK political spectrum have found common cause with the industry campaign concerning the current uncertainty over the administration of the Mandatory Levy. Both the Guardian and the Daily Express have joined the industry voices criticising the “lack of clarity” on how charities continue to support those experiencing gambling harm. The bodies charged with easing gambling harm are doing exactly the opposite.
The uncertainty around the distribution of funding from the Mandatory Levy has caught the attention of the national press, with newspapers including the Daily Express and the Guardian criticising the “lack of clarity.”
The current campaign has been driven almost in isolation by the gambling industry and trade media including Coinslot, Regulus Partners and the Racing Post. Until this week that is when the Guardian and Express – the least likely of allies – joined the cause to protect the gambling harm charities.
Despite the NHS having taken control of commissioning RET services from GambleAware, the estimated £100m raised from the levy is currently unallocated, prompting numerous charities to share concerns over the future.
“The new levy system, overseen by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, has been beset by delays, according to two of the UK’s leading gambling charities, GamCare, which runs the National Gambling Helpline, and Gordon Moody, which specialises in addiction counselling and residential treatment programmes,” reported the Guardian.
“Both warned that dozens of organisations, such as specialist clinics and support groups, may soon be unable to deliver services unless the government provides interim funding. The two charities blamed a lack of clarity over what the government and the commissioning bodies, including the NHS, expect from charities bidding for funding.”
That’s generous to say the least, but then both charities desperately need the money as quickly as possible and cannot say what Coinslot and others in the industry have been arguing for some time. That the commissioning bodies, the Gambling Commission and the DCMS have so far failed in their duties to manage the transfer process from voluntary funding to the Gambling Levy effectively – they have jointly caused irreparable damage to many in the third sector and put the gambling harm support infrastructure in jeopardy.
And all those virtuous words of protecting the player have been just that – words, when it was action that was needed. These bodies had one practical thing to do – and that was to ensure that the crucial funding continued to roll out as quickly as possible to keep the gambling harm charity sector moving.
Whilst they’ve messed that up royally, what was the response from all the politicians and councillors who delight in virtue signalling on the sidelines whilst the industry was the sole voice raising this concern to them?
They cocked a deaf ‘un. They just dismissed the industry warnings.
Well let’s see how disinterested the Gambling APPG, Dawn Butler and and backbench Labour MPs are now The Guardian has raised the issue.
The politicians and commissioning bodies have got away with ignoring warnings about this situation from the industry on countless occasions, and they did nothing.
So perhaps it would help if they listened to those in danger. Let’s hear what Gordon Moody – one of the founding institutions in the gambling harm arena – had to say.
Speaking to the Express, Gordon Moody’s finance director Julia Herdman said: “We’ve got no clarity over what is happening. We know we are losing our funding in March 2026, we have no idea whether we are going to get any more money.”
“We do not know where the next penny is coming from, or when.”
GamCare CEO Victoria Corbishley added: “The uncertainty is causing challenges.We don’t know what commissioners want from us from April onwards. It runs the risk of potential disruption to some of the services, particularly smaller organisations that we rely on.”
In desperation
Julia Herdman said… “We’ve got no clarity over what is happening. We know we are losing our funding in March 2026, we have no idea whether we are going to get any more money. We do not know where the next penny is coming from, or when…
Originally published on Coinslot on December 15, 2025. Republished with permission.