Expansion of the National Gambling Treatment Service

London, 14 May: GambleAware will invest an additional £3.9m for up to three years to fund expansion of the National Gambling Treatment Service through GamCare and its network of partners across Great Britain. The money will:

• Enable the National Gambling Helpline to provide advice and brief interventions to more people; £705k
• Enable people to have access to computerised Cognitive Behavioural Therapy where this is clinically appropriate; £435k
• Develop peer support so that people who are recovering from gambling addiction can help others to access treatment and aftercare; £438k
• Expand provision of face-to-face treatment services in England, Scotland and Wales; £2.35m

Following the signing of the Grant Agreement between GambleAware and GamCare covering 2018-2021, the two organisations have been discussing how to develop services further, to expand the range of treatment options available to people with gambling problems and to make treatment as accessible as possible. The range of initiatives being announced today will be funded immediately, and they supplement other developments which have already been announced, such as work with Adfam to improve support for those affected by the gambling of others, and a major investment to open the NHS Northern Gambling Clinic and newly extended services from GamCare in Leeds this summer. GambleAware announced last week that it had received £7.3 million in one-off regulatory settlements which will allow the charity to plan to spend significantly more than the £10 million it seeks each year from the gambling industry through voluntary donations in the short term. Trustees anticipate that GambleAware’s actions to help deliver the National Strategy to Reduce Gambling Harms will require a significant step-up in funding for core services from April 2020, over and above the investment being announced today.

Marc Etches, Chief Executive of GambleAware said: “Today’s announcement reflects a commitment by GambleAware to take a strategic approach to commissioning treatment services, to give people the help that they need to tackle the hidden addiction of problem gambling, and to improve the quality of life for them and their families. This significant expansion of the existing National Gambling Treatment Service demonstrates the shared commitment between GambleAware and GamCare, as commissioner and prime provider respectively, to make a real difference to people’s lives, by reducing barriers to treatment and increasing the capacity in the treatment system.”

Anna Hemmings, Chief Executive of GamCare said: “GamCare is delighted to have developed a collaborative approach with GambleAware to support the expansion of the National Gambling Treatment Service. This funding will mean we can introduce broader accessibility, availability and choice for those harmed by gambling. With it, we will be able to reach larger numbers of people in more locations nationally, offering a wider range of services including both online and peer support alongside our existing treatment provision. GamCare and its network of regional partners provide services which significantly improve the quality of life of those harmed by gambling, and we will continue to develop our services to ensure that they can grow sustainably and offer the right support at the right time to as many people as possible.”

Read more here.