The implementation of the UK’s new statutory gambling levy has sparked intense controversy following the news that Gamban, the industry’s leading blocking software, has been struck with exclusion from the new funding framework.
The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) reportedly omitted the tool because Gamban operates as a limited company, a decision critics label as a failure of the transition plan.
The End of Free Referrals?
Previously funded via GambleAware, Gamban was available free of charge to vulnerable users through the TalkBanStop partnership. Due to the funding withdrawal, the software, which blocks gambling content across all personal devices—will now transition to a paid model of £4.99 per month or £29.99 per year.
Matt Zarb-Cousin, co-founder of Gamban, described the OHID criteria and the exclusion as “bewildering,” questioning whether the new state-run system will actually improve services.
“It was not a reasonable basis to omit the best available gambling blocking software from the commissioning process,” Gamban stated, noting they were forced into this move to maintain service quality.
A “Hurried Transition” Under Fire
The Gambling Lived Experience Network (GLEN) and other industry experts have slammed the mismanagement of the levy. Mark Conway, a consultant for gambling harms, described the outcome as a “sad inevitable” result of a hurried transition with no continuity plan.
Reports indicate that over 10,000 users of the GambleAware App were also cut off from support overnight due to similar commissioning decisions. Critics argue that handing the strategy to state bodies with limited subject knowledge has eroded years of progress in prevention and early intervention.
