GamCare recorded a significant increase in referrals to treatment and peer-based support services in January 2026, following contact with the National Gambling Helpline and its live chat service.

The charity made 996 referrals during the month, up from 674 in January 2025 – a 48% year-on-year increase.

Excluding referrals to peer-based support services such as the Money Guidance Service and Way Forward, treatment referrals rose to 742, compared with 603 in the same month last year.

January 2026 was one of the highest referral months that GamCare has recorded in the past five years, with only October 2025 (1,165 referrals), September 2025 (1,022) and August 2025 (1,077) exceeding the figure.

“More people affected by gambling harms are choosing to start treatment,” said Victoria Corbishley, CEO of GamCare. 

“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.”

GamCare said the data suggested that callers were moving more quickly from initial help-seeking to entering treatment. The organisation reported an increase in the proportion of helpline contacts converting into referrals, which it attributed to improved referral pathways and readiness among callers to engage with support services.

The charity, which is headquartered in London, also pointed to a rise in the average number of referrals per individual, indicating that service users were increasingly accessing multiple forms of support. 

These average referrals per client rose from 1.1 in 2023/24, to 1.2 in 2024/25, and 1.3 in 2025/26.

Push for safer gambling

The trend is consistent with a public health approach to gambling harm, which focuses on early intervention and rapid access to treatment. Gambling-related harm has been linked to mental health, financial and social impacts, with recent public health reviews emphasising the importance of reducing barriers between initial contact and specialist care.

There has been a focused push on promoting safer gambling in the UK in recent years. Just last month, GambleAware’s three-year problem gambling awareness campaign reached a 90% success rate.

The statistics come months after the organisation revealed that people seeking support for gambling-related financial problems reached record numbers in September 2025.

The revelations also come amid a wider readjustment around gambling harm prevention and treatment in the UK is carried out, with GambleAware due to shut up shop next month.

GambleAware is being replaced by the NHS as the main commissioner of gambling harm treatment initiatives, a result of the research, education and treatment (RET) levy creation by the 2005 Gambling Act review.

Those struggling with gambling harm can contact support specialists on GamCare’s National Gambling Helpline, which is open 24/7 everyday of the year.