UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is backing the Gambling Harms Research UK Evidence Centre as a national project on gambling-related harm. Its funding comes from the statutory Gambling Levy, a charge on licensed operators that is collected by the Gambling Commission.
Why the Funding Route Is Important
The funding route is the main shift. For years, gambling harm research in Britain has faced doubts when money came from companies active in the sector. The new hub is meant to reduce that conflict by using statutory levy funding and separate governance controls.
The research strand receives 20% of levy money. For 2025-26, that equals £22.1 million. The current programme covers the evidence hub, 19 Innovation Partnerships, four policy fellowship roles and a set of rapid reviews.
Glasgow Coordinates the Research Network
The University of Glasgow will coordinate the centre, with Sheffield, Swansea and King’s College London involved as academic partners. Heather Wardle, a Glasgow professor whose work focuses on gambling research and policy, is leading the project.
The centre is not being framed as a purely academic unit. Its work is expected to feed into decisions made by public bodies, healthcare teams, support charities and treatment services. People with direct experience of gambling harm are also meant to shape the research agenda.
Data will be part of that work. Researchers will look at existing datasets to see where harm appears, which groups face higher risk and where public services may need earlier intervention.
Sport, Games and Data Risks Come Into Focus
The Innovation Partnerships will focus on three broad areas named in the programme:
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Gambling harms and sport;
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Online gambling and video games;
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Structural drivers of gambling harm.
The wider research agenda also points toward harder questions, including suicide risk, algorithmic systems and financial data.
Sheffield researchers will run two linked projects. One will use modelling to test prevention policy options, while the other will look at treatment, support and recovery routes.
Harmful gambling is estimated to place an annual £1.4 billion burden on the UK. The costs reach public services and households, with harm linked to debt, depression, family breakdown and suicide.
The centre also gives affected people a formal role in the work. Martin Jones has been appointed to lead the lived experience strand.
Key Takeaways
The centre marks a clear shift in how Britain funds gambling harm evidence. Its value will depend on whether researchers can turn independent findings into usable policy, better treatment routes and earlier prevention.
