The Young Gamers and Gamblers Education Trust (Ygam) has declared its inaugural Prevention Delivery Network meeting a notable success following the event’s completion.
The gathering brought together organisations commissioned through the Gambling Harms Prevention and Resilience Fund, managed by the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID).
This funding was awarded under the UK’s new statutory levy system, with the allocations confirmed earlier in April of this year.
The statutory levy represents a significant policy shift, moving the UK away from a voluntary model of industry contributions toward a mandatory system imposed directly on gambling operators.
Under the new framework, collection rates range from 0.1% to 1.1% of Gross Gaming Yield (GGY), depending on the type of gambling operation involved.
Online gambling operators face the steepest rate at 1%, while land-based operators are charged at 0.4%, and bingo halls along with Adult Gaming Centres pay the lowest rate of 0.1%.
Collections are due on 1 October each year, with funds distributed across three designated areas: 20% for research, 30% for prevention, and 50% for treatment of problem gambling.
The Prevention Delivery Network itself is designed to unite organisations delivering gambling harm prevention work under the statutory levy, encouraging stronger relationships and more effective collaborative strategies.
Quarterly meetings are planned to surface common challenges and identify partnership opportunities between the various levy-funded prevention programmes operating across the country.
Emily Tofield, Chief Executive Officer of Ygam, offered her assessment of the network’s early promise following the first gathering of stakeholders.
Tofield said: “The creation of the Prevention Delivery Network marks an important step towards building a more connected and collaborative approach to gambling harm prevention under the new statutory levy.”
She added: “It was encouraging to see such strong engagement at the inaugural meeting.”
The network’s launch signals a broader shift in how the UK intends to coordinate its gambling harm prevention infrastructure now that consistent, compulsory funding is in place.
