Glasgow lands £3.44m gambling levy grant to expand harm-prevention work
2026-08-10
Source: iGaming Business
Glasgow City Council has received over £3.44 million from the statutory gambling levy to expand The Glasgow Project over three years, targeting schools, debt support, workforce training and three high-density betting areas. The grant follows a council report estimating gambling harm costs Glasgow over £15 million annually, the highest in Scotland.
Glasgow City Council has secured more than £3.44 million from the statutory gambling levy to fund a three-year expansion of its local harm-reduction initiatives. The money will support The Glasgow Project, an effort that builds on the work of the city's established gambling harms groups.
According to GlasgowLive, the funding will allow prevention activity to be extended into schools and youth services, including help for young people struggling with gambling-related debt. Workforce training across health, community and public services is also planned, along with targeted investment in three neighbourhoods with the highest density of betting outlets.
Looking ahead to 2026-27, the priorities include hiring additional prevention staff, reviving the multi-agency partnership and establishing a specialist financial inclusion service to support those affected.
A report from the council's Wellbeing, Equalities, Communities, Culture and Engagement City Policy Committee puts the annual cost of gambling harm in Glasgow at more than £15 million, the highest in Scotland. The same report found around 42% of the city's betting shops are located in its most deprived areas.
Levy context
The statutory levy, which came into force in April 2025, replaced the previous voluntary funding model. It is paid by the gambling industry and is expected to raise roughly £100 million a year for research, prevention and treatment. The Gambling Commission manages collections on behalf of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).
Meanwhile, the DCMS has allocated £25.4 million from the levy to 33 voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations across England.
Wider initiatives
Glasgow's grant follows pilots and public health programmes that have taken a whole-system approach to gambling harm. Public Health Scotland published research in January 2025 mapping the city's support network and identifying risk factors, after the council recognised gambling harm as a public health issue.
In July, Public Health Wales announced a separate two-year funding scheme to support community-led projects aimed at "de-normalising" gambling-related harms across Wales. That funding will go to voluntary, community and social enterprise groups in Wales, with the Wales Council for Voluntary Action handling administration.