Gambling Harm Identified as Major Risk in UK’s First Men’s Health Strategy

The UK’s first-ever Men’s Health Strategy identifies gambling harm as a significant risk for men and outlines new prevention funding, research commitments, and targeted support for those most affected.

The strategy was published on International Men’s Day, with the stated goal of encouraging men to “take charge of their physical health and mental wellbeing.” The government’s strategy includes a subsection on gambling-related harm, where it notes that men’s higher risk comes from their increased likelihood of gambling online. 

It highlights that young men are especially susceptible because they “often engage more intensely in gaming, which increases their exposure to gambling-like features and in-game purchases, such as loot boxes.” 

Men living in lower-income or otherwise disadvantaged communities were more likely to experience serious consequences from their gambling. The strategy places gambling on equal footing with smoking, alcohol, and drugs as behaviors that contribute to preventable poor health among men.

Reacting to the study, Greg Fell, President of the Association of Directors of Public Health, said: “We are pleased to see this new strategy emphasises preventing the many avoidable illnesses and diseases – including a number of cancers and respiratory and mental health conditions – that are driven by smoking, drinking and gambling. The focus on improving wellbeing is also welcome.”

UK Gov’t Sets New Prevention Measures & £100 Million Levy

As part of its effort to reduce gambling harm, one of the key policy components in the strategy is a new statutory levy to be imposed on gambling operators. The levy is expected to raise £100 million each year and will be used to fund gambling harms prevention (30% of funding), treatment (50% of funding), and research (20% of funding). 

The gambling industry has no say in how the funding is used or how research is conducted, which the strategy describes as “supporting our public health approach to tackling gambling harms.” 

While the UK’s Department of Culture, Media, and Sport announced the levy in a 2024 press release, the strategy adds additional details on how the funds will be used, including: 

• A coordinated national-to-local prevention plan that is designed to deliver gambling-harm messaging through national campaigns and local initiatives. 
• A new voluntary-sector grant will be launched in April 2026 to support organizations that work with groups that are at higher risk for gambling-related problems, including men aged 25 to 34, men in disadvantaged areas, and certain ethnic minority groups. 
• Improved access to treatment, expanded specialist support, and clearer referral pathways.
• Independent research through UKRI and NIHR that investigates gambling-related harm within the wider context of addiction and behavioral health. 

At the local level, the strategy aims to strengthen prevention through messaging in sports settings, and some authorities are already on board. “Several local authorities are introducing advertising and sponsorship policies that restrict exposure to gambling marketing,” the strategy explains.

Advocates: Recognizing Gambling as Men’s Health Risk Long Overdue

Stakeholders across the gambling-harm sector welcomed the strategy’s explicit recognition of gambling as a men’s health issue. Lord Foster of Bath, Chair of Action on Gambling, said:

“The first ever Men’s Health Strategy is an important milestone, and the fact that it correctly identifies gambling as a significant risk is particularly welcome. Under the leadership of the Department of Health, progress in tackling preventable health issues that disproportionately impact men, such as problem gambling, will at last be possible.”

His remarks reflect a long-running frustration among public-health leaders who say gambling-related harm has not historically received the same level of attention as other behavioral risks, despite clear evidence of its impact.

James Grimes, Director of Chapter One, Gambling With Lives, also highlighted the strategy’s significance: “The release of this strategy is very welcome, especially in its recognition of the health harms caused by gambling – harms felt by countless men across the country.

“As someone who has struggled with mental health issues driven by gambling, I wholeheartedly support the government’s focus on prevention and hope to see continued action on the commercial factors that shape our health.”

Grimes has been one of the most prominent advocates pushing for gambling to be treated as a public-health issue, citing the well-documented connection between gambling harms, mental distress, and addiction.