Glasgow City Council will receive over £3.44 million over the next three years for efforts to combat gambling-related harm throughout the city. The funding, reported by GlasgowLive, is sourced from the gambling industry’s statutory levy and aims to support and expand "The Glasgow Project", building on earlier initiatives led by local gambling harm organizations.
The financial support will enhance prevention programs within schools and youth services, providing aid to young individuals struggling with gambling debts. Plans also include workforce training across health, community, and public services, with a particular investment targeted at three neighborhoods identified as having the highest concentration of betting shops.
For the 2026-27 period, priorities will focus on hiring more prevention team members, revitalizing multi-agency partnerships, and establishing a specialized financial inclusion service to assist those affected by gambling.
A recent report from the Glasgow City Council’s Wellbeing, Equalities, Communities, Culture and Engagement City Policy Committee highlights that the cost of gambling harm in Glasgow exceeds £15 million each year, the highest in Scotland. Additionally, it points out that approximately 42% of the city’s betting shops are situated in its most deprived areas.
The funding for this project originates from the statutory levy, which came into effect in April 2025. This levy, funded by the gambling sector, is expected to generate about £100 million annually for research, prevention, and treatment initiatives related to gambling harm, replacing a prior voluntary funding model. The Gambling Commission oversees the collection of these funds under the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).
In a related move, the DCMS has distributed £25.4 million from the levy to 33 voluntary, community, and social enterprise organizations across England.
This initiative in Glasgow builds on various pilots and public health initiatives aimed at creating a comprehensive approach to gambling harm. In January 2025, Public Health Scotland released findings that mapped Glasgow’s support network and examined risk factors related to gambling issues, which resulted from the city recognizing gambling harms as a public health concern. Likewise, Public Health Wales announced in July a new two-year funding initiative directed at community-led efforts to "de-normalize" gambling harms across Wales. This funding will support voluntary organizations in Wales, managed by the Wales Council for Voluntary Action.
