UK gov’t to fund more dedicated problem gambling clinics

Problem gambling mitigation is getting a boost from the UK government’s reform of the National Health Service (NHS) as well as from new initiatives from major banks.

This weekend, the Mirror reported that UK Prime Minister Theresa May planned to instruct Health Secretary Matt Hancock to build more dedicated facilities to address problem gambling behavior. There is currently only one such facility in the UK, the National Problem Gambling Clinic in London’s Fulham area.

Previously, specialist treatment for gambling issues has relied on charitable funding but the new facilities will come courtesy of the government’s planned injection of an additional £20.5b into the NHS by 2023. Around £2.3b of this sum will go toward mental health services.

The UK’s gambling industry-funded GambleAware charity, which helps support the National Problem Gambling Clinic, celebrated the news as a “very welcome development.” Last November, GambleAware announced the commissioning of a second such clinic in Leeds that is expected to open in April. The Leeds facility will eventually assist problem gamblers across the north of the country through a hub-and-spoke model.