Dan Waugh, Partner at Regulus Partners, has slammed campaigners who greeted the news of GambleAware’s closure with glee.
Speaking to iGaming Expert, he warned that the funding system is not living up to its billing and is creating more uncertainty for gambling harm treatment providers.
“The GambleAware announcement is revealing in several ways. GambleAware lobbied in support of the levy and it has proved to be their undoing,” said Waugh.
“The Government came around to the idea of a levy because it thought it would address perceptions of conflicts; and as a result we now have a funding system riven with actual conflicts of interest. It claimed it would create greater stability for treatment providers, and it is having the opposite effect.
“Finally, the glee with which some campaigners greeted the news of GambleAware’s closure, involving dozens of job losses in the Third Sector (and potentially many more to come), reveals just how unpleasant and self-regarding some people can be.”
Waugh’s comments came as industry reactions filtered into iGaming Expert following GambleAware’s closure announcement last week.
DealMeOut writes to DCMS for fair treatment
Expressing its sadness with GambleAware’s closure, DealMeOut also raised its worries about the future of treatment services in the UK, in addition to writing to the UK Government asking for services to be treated fairly.
DealMeOut noted on LinkedIn: “We are deeply saddened to see the structured closure of GambleAware. Our thoughts are with all of the team who have worked tirelessly to prevent and treat gambling harm for many years.
“Whilst our organisation is not funded by GambleAware and does not deliver treatment, We are extremely concerned about commissioning of treatment services in the future. It is fundamental services are not only maintained, but expanded – The implementation of the statutory levy has done immense harm on our sector, and service users are now at risk.
“Today we have written to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to demand treatment services are treated fairly, for the good of all service users.”
Zoë Osmond urges Commissioners to build on GambleAware’s work
In a LinkedIn statement, GambleAware’s CEO Zoë Osmond has urged the UK Research and Innovation, Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, as well as NHS England and relevant bodies in Scotland and Wales, to build on the charity’s work as Research, Prevention and Treatment Commissioners under the statutory levy respectively.
“On Friday, GambleAware formally announced its intention to work towards a managed closure by March 2026, as the transition to the new statutory commissioning system reaches completion,” Osmond said.
“There are few charities that not only fulfil their mission but also steward their own closure. While this moment is bittersweet, it is also a milestone we’ve long championed for. Since 2017, we have called for a statutory levy to ensure sustainable funding and for the statutory sector to take full responsibility for preventing and addressing gambling harms—just as it does for drugs and alcohol.
Osmond continued: “This marks a significant and historic turning point. GambleAware has played a pivotal role in laying the foundations of the UK’s gambling harm reduction system and in reframing gambling harm as a public health issue—to now be funded, supported, and led by government.
“Everyone who has worked and continues to work at GambleAware should feel immense pride in their respective contribution to this remarkable and ever-evolving journey.
“As our commissioning activity winds down, we urge NHS England, the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, UK Research and Innovation, and the relevant authorities in Scotland and Wales to build on the infrastructure and insights of the current system as they assume their new roles.”
Duncan Garvie – Service providers must be protected during transition
BetBlocker’s Trustee and Founder, Duncan Garvie, stated that GambleAware’s absence will be felt across the UK, emphasising that “any period of change creates stress, anxiety, and this is no exception.”
“GambleAware has been a sector leading organisation for many years now, and the loss of its leadership will be keenly felt in the UK as we work through this transition period.
“GambleAware had a profound impact on the BetBlocker project. Today, we’re on track to support more than a quarter of a million active users worldwide in 2025. And more than 20,000 in the UK. We wouldn’t be where we are without funding from GambleAware and the support of their team.”
Garvie also echoed a message that has been highlighted by many for several months now – the need to protect service providers during the statutory levy transition period.
“Throughout the process of shifting from RET to levy funding systems, there has always been significant risk for the charities that relied on RET funding.
“The incoming Funding Commissioners need to be attentive to protecting those service providers during this change, to ensure that gaps in provision do not occur and we do not experience a skill drain from the sector. If there’s going to be a restructuring of the sector, it is imperative that it brings with it the deep wealth of skills and talent that the RET system has nurtured.
“The shape of what is to come remains to be seen, but while there are significant risks in this transition it should be possible to augment the strengths of the RET sector and build something stronger.”
GAMSTOP Group – Interests of consumers must be the focal point
GAMSTOP Group highlighted the important work GambleAware has already done and stated that it believes this will continue under the statutory levy, before adding that the welfare of players must be the centre of all work by all parties.
“GambleAware has done important work over many years to support the prevention, treatment and research of gambling addiction and we are confident that this will continue under the new commissioning framework. GAMSTOP has always worked collaboratively with other organisations to support vulnerable consumers because self-exclusion is a tool that works best alongside other solutions.
“We look forward to building constructive relationships with the new commissioning bodies so, together, we can provide clear and effective pathways for those who need help managing their gambling.
“We must always put the interests of consumers at the centre of our work, and we would like to thank Zoe Osmond and her team at GambleAware for their support in building a national online self-exclusion service that has helped 600,000 people across the UK”
Helen Owen – ‘Honour’ to work at GambleAware
GambleAware’s Director of Transformation, Helen Owen, who has been with the charity for almost seven years, serving previously as Evaluation and Monitoring Director, praised the charity’s team for their amazing work over the years in a LinkedIn post.
Owen said: “Today GambleAware trustees have announced that the charity will work towards closure in March 2026. By then, the transition of the commissioning of research, prevention, and treatment will be complete, and statutory bodies will take over.
“It’s been my honour to work with an amazing team of talented, committed and hugely resilient individuals.”
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