GamCare has seen a record number of people taking the next step into treatment and peer-based support following contact with the National Gambling Helpline and GamCare’s live chat.
• Made 996 referrals to treatment and peer-based support services in January 2026, up from 674 in January 2025 – a 48% increase year-on-year.
• Excluding referrals to peer-based support – Money Guidance Service and Way Forward – treatment referrals rose to 742 (compared to 603 in Jan 2025).
• Only three months in the past five years have seen higher numbers of referrals, and they have all fallen in the last year: 1165 in October 2025, 1022 in September 2025, and 1077 in August 2025.
Victoria Corbishley, GamCare’s CEO, said: “More people affected by gambling harms are choosing to start treatment. The National Gambling Helpline is a 24/7, confidential route to support, and our advisers rapidly connect people with free, specialist help across Great Britain. That first conversation remains the crucial turning point.”
What this tells
• People are moving from “help-seeking” to “treatment-starting” faster. The proportion of target calls converting into treatment has increased markedly, suggesting callers are more ready to engage in structured support and that referral pathways are working efficiently. Nationally, the National Gambling Helpline is the most common route into treatment.
• Specialist wraparound help is reaching the right people. Flexible and person-centred services plug critical gaps identified in recent evaluations of the UK treatment landscape.
• Service users can now access multiple, diverse avenues for support. On average, the number of referrals per client in January has increased each year for those referred (1.1 in 2023-24, 1.2 in 2024-24, 1.3 in 2025-26).
• New data demonstrates GamCare’s public health approach to tackling gambling harm. Gambling harm affects individuals, families and communities, with well documented mental health and financial impacts. Public health reviews emphasise prevention and rapid access to treatment; improving conversion from helpline contact to treatment is a key step in reducing harm.
