Is high street gambling expansion overlooked? – OHID’s £12m council funding revealed

(AsiaGameHub) –   As the UK’s safer gambling landscape continues to evolve, the Office of Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) has distributed significant grants to local authorities through its gambling harms prevention fund, with Birmingham receiving the largest allocation of £332,769.

London’s local authorities also received substantial support as the funding methodology was disclosed, with 50% of the distribution based on population size and the other 50% determined by the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD).

In total, a £12 million fund was shared among County councils, Unitary authorities, Metropolitan boroughs, and London boroughs.

Other major recipients included Essex (£289,842), Lancashire (£275,649), Hampshire (£234,867), Manchester (£167,338), and Bradford (£154,748).

While political debates and campaigning regarding high street gambling have persisted into 2026, the concentration of gambling venues in specific areas appears not to have been a factor in the funding allocation process.

Middlesbrough, which consistently ranks among the areas with the highest density of gambling establishments—from bookmakers to Adult Gaming Centres—was allocated only £45,312 from the grant.

Similarly, Luton and Blackpool also host a high concentration of gambling venues, yet their respective councils received just £57,611 and £44,159.

The funding for Blackpool is particularly notable given its high volume of casinos and gaming centers, often being characterized as a destination for gambling tourism.

Does this data suggest a potential weakness in the funding criteria? The OHID has admitted that there is currently insufficient evidence to develop a formula that perfectly accounts for the regional variations in gambling-related harm, and it has expressed an intention to refine the allocation model.

These funding decisions also accelerate the shift toward a public health-oriented approach to safer gambling, further distancing official strategy from industry-led initiatives in the UK.

The ten councils receiving the highest funding were:

• Birmingham — £332,769
• Kent — £326,912
• Essex — £289,842
• Lancashire — £275,649
• Hampshire — £234,867
• Hertfordshire — £201,954
• Norfolk — £189,672
• Surrey — £187,149
• Leeds — £182,116
• Manchester — £167,338

While the list of top-funded authorities is dominated by large counties, the absence of London councils is misleading, as their funding is spread across a wide variety of individual boroughs.

The top ten funded councils in London were:

• Newham — £93,820
• Ealing — £86,487
• Brent — £85,877
• Croydon — £85,220
• Enfield — £79,420
• Barnet — £78,507
• Tower Hamlets — £81,537
• Greenwich — £63,731
• Hillingdon — £65,585
• Hounslow — £65,563