Glasgow City Council has been granted more than £3.44 million over the next three years, to extend its initiatives addressing gambling-related harm across the city.
Reported by GlasgowLive, the funding will come from the industry’s statutory levy and will be used to support and expand “The Glasgow Project”, building on previous work led by the city’s established gambling harms groups.
The funding will enable the expansion of prevention work within schools and youth services, providing support for young people facing gambling-related debt.
Training for the workforce across health, community and public services is also planned, alongside targeted investment in three neighbourhoods identified as having the highest concentration of betting outlets.
Key priorities for 2026-27 include recruiting additional staff for the prevention team, revitalising the multi-agency partnership and developing a specialist financial inclusion service to further aid those impacted.
According to a recent report from Glasgow City Council Wellbeing, Equalities, Communities, Culture and Engagement City Policy Committee, the cost of gambling harm to Glasgow is the highest across Scotland at over £15 million a year.
In addition, the report noted that around 42% of betting shops in Glasgow were in the most deprived areas of the city.
Gambling levy reshaping
The project itself will be funded through the statutory levy, which was brought into effect in April 2025.
The levy, funded by the industry itself, was designed to raise approximately £100 million annually to support research, prevention and treatment efforts related to gambling harm.
It replaced the previous voluntary funding model, and the the Gambling Commission was tasked with managing collections under the purview of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).
The DCMS has also allocated £25.4 million from the levy to 33 voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations across England. This had also been funded through the operator levy.
Wales joins the fold
Glasgow’s funding builds on pilots and public health initiatives that have developed a whole-system approach to gambling harm.
In January 2025, Public Health Scotland published findings mapping Glasgow’s support network and exploring risk factors contributing to gambling harm. This came after Glasgow City Council recognised gambling harms as a public health issue.
Similarly, Public Health Wales in July announced a new two-year funding initiative supporting community-led efforts, aimed at “de-normalising” gambling-related harms across Wales.
This grant will target voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations operating within Wales, with the Wales Council for Voluntary Action overseeing its administration.
Kathryn Evans
Kathryn covers bitesize breaking news with a primary focus on EMEA and US legislation. A proud North Walian, fluent Welsh speaker and lifelong Wrexham FC fan – long before Hollywood came calling.
Original article: https://igamingbusiness.com/sustainable-gambling/glasgow-awarded-grant-tackle-gambling-related-harms-fiscal-cost-15m/
