Gambling harms services are in a period of significant change. New funding arrangements and the introduction of the statutory levy are reshaping how prevention, treatment and wider support for gambling harms is commissioned and delivered across the UK.
For providers, that creates opportunity. For people experiencing gambling harms, it could mean more consistent access to care, better integration with wider health services, and stronger long-term support.
To understand what matters most going forwards, we spoke with Tom Scott, Director at Mayden, about the current challenges facing the sector, the importance of joined-up pathways, and the role digital tools can play in improving outcomes.
A system in transition
Tom highlights that one of the biggest immediate challenges is navigating the move to the new funding model for gambling harms, whilst maintaining continuity of care.
“The consequences of that funding approach are ultimately a good thing,” he explains. “It brings gambling harms services closer to the NHS, and removes some of the gap between the two. But that transition is the biggest challenge at the moment.”
In particular, the challenge affects organisations that have supported people under previous models of delivery. Many individuals are already receiving care, and any structural change must ensure those people do not fall through the gaps.
“There needs to be a transition for those clients that are under care,” Tom says. “And for organisations continuing to operate services, they need to take a longer-term view about how to offer the best support and improve outcomes.”
This reflects a wider truth across health and care transformation: service redesign must be carefully managed if it is to deliver better outcomes in practice.
Prevention cannot remain the missing piece
Alongside treatment provision, Tom highlights prevention as one of the most important opportunities for the gambling harms sector. Some charities, he notes, believe only a fraction of total need is currently being met. While figures can vary significantly, the message is consistent: many people experiencing harm may never reach formal support.
“That raises a question about unmet need,” Tom says. “How do we address challenges earlier, before they have a larger impact further down the line?”
This mirrors the broader shift across health systems towards earlier intervention, in order to align with the NHS 10 year plan. Supporting people before harms escalate can reduce crisis demand, improve wellbeing, and reduce pressure on our frontline services. “In the NHS agenda, we often talk about moving to prevention rather than cure,” Tom adds. “That prevention space for gambling harms is a real opportunity for us to improve outcomes.”
For gambling harms services, prevention may include community outreach, education, awareness campaigns, support in schools and universities, and targeted engagement with groups at higher risk.
Ending the postcode lottery in access to gambling harms care
As new models emerge, consistency of access will be critical. Tom warns that the sector must avoid creating a “postcode lottery” where support depends on geography rather than need. “It’s important that under the new model there is a standard way of accessing gambling harms services,” he says. “Individuals across all geographies should have access to the same quality of care.”
But geography is only part of the picture. Equity also means recognising that some communities face greater barriers to support than others. “How do we ensure the same awareness, the same prevention and outreach into communities?” Tom asks. “Not just across regions, but across different demographics and populations.”
This is where data, culturally informed service design, and targeted outreach become essential. Without them, inequities can persist even within well-funded systems.
Support needs to exist beyond office hours
Crisis moments for those suffering from gambling harms can happen at any time, which means all support models need to reflect real life.
“With behavioural services, 24-hour care is really important,” says Tom. “The impact caused by gambling harm isn’t just nine to five.”
For someone struggling late at night or outside standard working hours, rapid access to help can be crucial. That may mean helplines, digital access points, crisis support pathways, or integrated referral models that connect people quickly to the right service. Tom believes this requires collaboration across providers; “How does the whole system work together across charity, third sector and NHS-provided services to ensure there is round-the-clock care and prevention for individuals?”
Achieving that means building clear referral pathways, shared standards, interoperable systems and strong partnerships so that people can move seamlessly between services and access the right support whenever they need it.
Joined-up care depends on joined-up data
Across gambling harms services, collaboration is already happening between NHS organisations and third sector providers. The next step, Tom says, is building truly seamless pathways across the whole ecosystem.
“We’ve seen really good collaboration,” he explains. “The next step is making sure there’s a joined-up private, third sector and NHS pathway that supports individuals around the clock.”
That level of coordination depends on information moving with the person receiving support. “How does the data follow the individual?” Tom asks. “Also, how do we ensure the full picture is understood at any one point in that journey, and that the right information is with the right person at the right time?”
For services, this means reducing fragmented systems and disconnected records. For individuals, it means telling their story once, not repeatedly at every handoff point. And for commissioners and providers, it means being able to understand pathway effectiveness from prevention through to treatment.
Measuring outcomes from start to finish
Demonstrating impact is increasingly important, particularly as new funding models place greater emphasis on accountability and measurable outcomes. Tom believes many organisations already have strong tools in place at specific stages of the pathway. The bigger challenge is understanding the complete journey.
“One of the key questions about outcomes is what happened from start to finish in the pathway,” he says. “What improved outcomes were achieved, and how do we shape the best service provision from that?”
This includes two distinct but connected areas:
Prevention outcomes
In prevention, metrics may focus on reach, engagement and awareness. Which communities were reached? How many people are engaged with resources? Did confidence, understanding or help-seeking behaviour improve? Tom sees digital tools as central here: “They can play an enormous role in outreach and prevention through capturing activity, understanding group sessions, broadcasting information and measuring impact.”
Treatment outcomes
In treatment, the focus becomes more clinical and person-centred. “How do you measure where an individual is at the start of their journey,” Tom asks, “and how do we ensure we have the right care to measure progress throughout that journey?”
This may include validated outcome measures, recovery goals, attendance, engagement, wellbeing indicators and relapse prevention planning.
Better tools for frontline teams
Technology must also work for the people delivering care. Staff across both the NHS and third sector are under pressure, often balancing growing demand with limited capacity. Systems that create extra admin burdens can undermine good care. “There has to be a conversation about productivity in these tools,” says Tom. “How do we support individuals using them to be as productive as possible?”
He points to innovations such as ambient voice technology, transcription tools and smarter workflows that reduce repetitive administration.
The goal is simple: less time on systems, more time supporting people.
How Mayden supports gambling harms services
Mayden has worked with gambling harms providers across both NHS and third sector settings for several years, helping organisations implement digital systems that support care delivery, improve insight and reduce fragmentation.
“We’ve been supporting gambling harms services for a number of years across the third sector and NHS and continue to do so,” says Tom. That includes supporting organisations with service transformation, implementing joined-up electronic patient records, and using data to improve access, outcomes and equity.
“We have a whole team devoted to data research and supporting organisations with solid insight,” Tom explains. “That might be improving services, improving access to care, or helping reduce health inequities.”
A pivotal moment for the sector
Gambling harms services have an opportunity to build something stronger: more preventative, more equitable, more connected and more measurable. But success will depend on thoughtful implementation: protecting continuity during transition, strengthening partnerships across sectors, and ensuring data and technology enable care rather than complicate it.
Get in touch with us to find out how our digital tools can support improvements in gambling harms care.