Monday August 10th 2026
Glasgow City Chambers
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Catherine Hunter
More than £3.44 million has now been successfully awarded to Glasgow City Council in a bid to deliver a citywide public-health response to gambling harms.
The money will be granted to the local authority over the next three years to help them deliver “The Glasgow Project” which has already made significant progress in addressing gambling harms by raising awareness of the issue, reducing stigma and promoting education and peer-led initiatives.
It comes after the UK Government confirmed in 2024 it would bring forward a statutory levy on gambling operators to generate £100 million for research, prevention and treatment on gambling harms.
A report being presented to members of the wellbeing committee next week highlights how the previous Glasgow Gambling Harms Group worked collaboratively to develop a whole system approach to reduce gambling harms—known as ‘the Glasgow Project’.
This was supported by three years of funding from the UK Gambling Commission settlement and Public Health Scotland (PHS).
The new award now enables partners to build on the previous work and fund a multi-agency partnership and team to provide gambling harm education in schools and youth services, support for young people affected by gambling-related debt, workforce training across healthcare, community and public services and investment in three neighbourhoods with the highest density of gambling outlets.
The city already has more bookmakers than anywhere else in the UK outside of London.
So far priorities for 2026/7 include recruitment to the prevention team, re-establishment of the Multi-Agency Gambling Harms Partnership Group and developing a specialist financial inclusion service for those financially harmed by gambling.
A report being presented to members next week states: “The Gambling Levy funding will enable and support the re-establishment of a Glasgow Project Partnership —one that is collaborative, informed by lived experience, and rooted in public health principles.
“Many of the other fund recipients across Scotland will seek to include Glasgow in their developments, which will be coordinated through the reestablished partnership.”
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