Gamban to offer free gambling-blocking service in England again after OHID funding

Gamban, a UK-focused gambling-blocking platform, has announced that it will go back to providing its services free of charge in England. The company had already reached the same position in Wales earlier this year.

The subscription-only model was a response to the introduction of the statutory gambling harms levy, which forced many safer gambling and customer protection organisations to adapt. Gamban says its return to free access in England follows approved funding from the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID).

Gamban works as a self-exclusion platform that spans gambling companies and is aimed at people experiencing gambling harm. Its technology is shaped by the lived experience of people who have dealt with problem gambling and gambling harm.

The change comes after the UK moved away from its long-standing system in which operators voluntarily donated each year to research, treatment and education, a framework overseen by the now-closed GambleAware. Under the statutory levy, contributions are collected and overseen by the National Health Service across England, Scotland and Wales, with the NHS leading on treatment. OHID distributes funds for prevention, while UK Research and Innovation handles research.

When the new funding approach was introduced, gambling harm charities and prevention organisations warned that the selective method of allocation could leave them at risk of closure or forced to limit services. Some had to make internal changes, as Gamban did with its subscription model. A new funding round from OHID and the allocation of the Gambling Harms Prevention Fund have now allowed Gamban to reverse that step in England.

The move may indicate that the third-party sector is stabilising after the funding changes earlier this year, which left many organisations in financial difficulty. In Wales, the free offering was announced in April, as the Welsh government developed support for problem gambling under its renewed national strategy to tackle gambling harm.

Commenting on its English operations, Gamban said it had been disappointed by the initial decision that ended free access, but was encouraged by messages of support from other organisations in the sector. The company said the funding gives it an opportunity to work with partners to make protection available to more people free of charge.