BetBlocker Founder Admits Charity’s UK Future is “Uncertain”

The founder of BetBlocker has admitted the charity’s future in the UK is uncertain, with the shift to a mandatory levy being paid by operators leading to what is claimed to be a more rigid stance from funding commissioners.

Founded in 2017, BetBlocker is a registered charity in the UK, offering a free service where users can set self-restrictions with a software tool; this tool can automatically restrict a device from accessing any gambling operator URLs in BetBlocker’s database.

BetBlocker is funded entirely by donations, and operates in several countries across the globe, including the US, Canada, Brazil, Kenya, South Africa and Romania.

Levy brings confusion

However, legislative changes have led to uncertainty surrounding BetBlocker’s future in the UK. In April 2025, a new statutory levy came into effect, requiring all licensed operators to pay a percentage of their gross gambling yield to contribute towards efforts to treat and prevent gambling harm. The rate ranges from 0.1% to 1.1%, dependent on the specific gambling-related activity.

The statutory levy was one of the terms outlined in the 2023 Gambling White Paper, and replaced the previous system of the voluntary levy. In the voluntary levy, operators would make an annual financial contribution to regulator the Gambling Commission, which would be distributed to one or more organisations which delivered or supported research, education and treatment (RET).

The levy has so fair raised just under £120 million. Half those funds will be used to support gambling harm treatment, with 30% going towards prevention, and the remaining 20% being spent on research.

Founder speaks out

According to BetBlocker Founder Duncan Garvie, the charity grew its UK user base by about 20% in the UK in 2025, with BetBlocker supporting more than 22,000 users in the country this year.

Garvie posted on LinkedIn about how the change to a mandatory levy system is leading to a potential change in stance from funding commissioners.

Garvie wrote:

“The future of UK support for BetBlocker is still uncertain. The transition from the RET system to the levy has seen the funding commissioners adopt a rigid position on industry funding, which is the only funding available across the majority of the world outside of the UK; and the only means BetBlocker has to deliver support to a quarter of a million users outside of the UK.

“This festive season, BetBlocker is imploring the Department of Health and Social Care and the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) to work with us, and to secure the support that over 22,000 people in the UK accessed this year.”

OHID takes over

In February this year, the UK government announced OHID would become the future prevention commissioner for gambling-related harms in England, working alongside appropriate bodies in Scotland and Wales.

A gambling harms prevention grant will be available to all voluntary community and social enterprise organisations working to help prevent gambling related harms.

It is currently unclear as to whether OHID will be able to guarantee future support for BetBlocker, and it may be unable to support a charity which uses some of that funding to support users outside the UK.

Garvie wrote:

“With the certainty of the backing of the incoming funding commissioner, BetBlocker would be able to refocus our energies on delivering our support, and uptake in the UK will pick up in coming years, to mirror the growth seen in other countries.

“Working together, we can find solutions to any challenges. And collaboration is how we ensure the best outcomes for the people we serve.”