Gamban Excluded from Gambling Harms Funding by OHID

(AsiaGameHub) –   The ongoing dispute concerning the implementation of the new statutory levy for gambling harms has intensified, following confirmation from Gamban that it will not receive funding.

Gamban, formerly supported by GambleAware, expressed disapproval of OHID‘s choice to exclude it from the new funding mechanism because of its status as a limited company. Gamban is widely acknowledged as the most effective software for blocking access to gambling platforms and content on all devices.

When the shift to the new levy system was confirmed last year, GambleAware declared its intention to stop operating, highlighting the profound nature of this change, given that GambleAware had previously overseen gambling harm treatment programs.

Gamban announced that OHID’s decision means it can no longer offer its service for free; it will now cost £4.99 monthly or £29.99 annually. Before this, Gamban was available at no cost following a referral from TalkBanStop or certain other referral pathways.

The organization criticized OHID’s process, asserting that its status as a limited company “was not a justifiable reason to exclude the most effective gambling blocking software from the commissioning process,” and disclosed that it has had to take measures to uphold the service quality its users depend on.

Matt Zarb-Cousin, co-founder of Gamban, who had previously advocated for the new levy system expecting it to boost funding for high-quality services, characterized the criteria OHID adopted as ‘perplexing’ and expressed doubts about whether the new system would lead to service improvements.

‘An inevitable outcome’

Mark Conway of Consultancy for Gambling Harms echoed the criticism of the OHID process, calling it a ‘sad inevitable outcome’ stemming from the commissioning approach used for dividing VCSE and LA/NHS Levy funding.

He further noted his belief that Gamban’s commercial nature would have presented challenges for commissioners even under the previous RET system, and he lamented the insufficient adaptations made during the process, considering Gamban’s significance to the industry.

Conway, commenting on LinkedIn, attributed the core problem to inadequate preparation or a thorough grasp of the prior gambling harms sector during the shift to Levy funding.

Conway characterized it as ‘a rushed transition lacking a genuine continuity plan – merely competitive bidding divided across different service provision categories.’

The Gambling Lived Experience Network (GLEN) also condemned the restrictive nature of the approach and the ‘mismanagement of the levy process,’ labeling it ‘a stark illustration of the consequences when established system experts and stakeholders are left out of strategic planning and decision-making.’

GLEN explained that Gamban finds itself in a predicament similar to when over 10,000 users of the GambleAware App abruptly lost support because OHID opted not to continue backing that particular tool.

GLEN further stated: “Our current predicament stems from inadequate planning… and ill-timed circumstances where the most crucial transformation in addressing Gambling Harms in this nation was unexpectedly assigned to State bodies that neither requested, desired, nor possessed the necessary expertise or capability to manage them.”

OHID’s lack of collaborative effort also drew criticism from other segments of the industry. Jordan Lea, founder of Deal Me Out, disclosed that his group withdrew from the OHID process early on, and he denounced the new process, voicing concerns about the rapid move towards a more assertive and uncompromising public health approach.

During his address at the Illegal Gambling Prevention Summit earlier this month, he expressed regret that his initial apprehensions regarding the new process were materializing, leading to substantial job losses and the closure of numerous vital charities. This encompassed GambleAware’s exit, which Lea believed was a primary objective for many advocates at the start of the process, driven by a desire to eliminate entities with any past industry funding.

Escalating concerns

Organizations, including GambleAware, have consistently cautioned that the new funding structure could jeopardize the standard of care for users as treatment becomes fragmented across the UK – a situation highlighted by Gamban’s free availability in Wales versus its status in England and Scotland.

GambleAware’s legacy report, published prior to its cessation of operations today (March 31), declared: “As the system undergoes transition, worries are mounting regarding the potential loss of institutional expertise and advancements within the sector. Concurrently, there is apprehension that disparities in local capabilities might lead to variations in service quality across different areas. Without intentional intervention, these hazards could undermine progress achieved in prevention, early intervention, and fairness of response.”

Acknowledging the growing difficulties associated with the new levy’s implementation, the UK Government last week introduced the Gambling Levy Transition Fund (GLTF), offering an additional three months of funding to organizations that did not secure initial funding.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport recognized the ‘transformative change’ ushered in by the funding shift and stated that the GLTF was established to ‘guarantee the uninterrupted provision of gambling harm prevention and treatment services in England.’