GamCare has expanded its gambling harm treatment network into some of Scotland’s most remote communities, introducing free support across the Highlands, Shetland, Orkney and other island areas.
The programme is being financed by the Scottish Government through Scotland’s allocation from the UK-wide statutory Gambling Levy. Funding has been secured for up to three years, running until March 2029, and will support both regional treatment and outreach work as well as GamCare’s continued operation of the National Gambling Helpline across Scotland.
People experiencing gambling-related problems will be able to receive treatment online or by telephone from trained practitioners. The sessions use techniques associated with Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, designed to help participants understand gambling behaviours and develop strategies to support recovery. The service is also available to relatives, friends, colleagues and others affected by another person’s gambling.
GamCare said around one in seven contacts to the National Gambling Helpline during 2025-26 came from people affected by somebody else’s gambling. Research commissioned by the charity from YouGov, involving more than 3,700 UK adults, also found that 8% of Scottish respondents who had gambled during the previous year had at some point believed they might have a gambling problem.
The organisation expects the expansion to improve access in areas where distance and limited availability of specialist services can create barriers to treatment. GamCare has also identified concerns around gambling harm among people working in industries common in northern Scotland, including fishing and offshore oil and gas, while isolation and easy access to online gambling have been highlighted as potential risk factors in rural communities.
Alongside direct treatment, GamCare will work with local organisations on prevention and education initiatives. The programme will focus on increasing awareness of gambling-related harm, helping communities recognise warning signs and improving knowledge of available support.
The expansion forms part of a wider increase in publicly funded gambling harm services in Scotland following the introduction of the statutory Gambling Levy in April 2025. The Scottish Government allocated £7.9 million from the levy in March 2026 for prevention, early intervention and treatment programmes delivered through the NHS, local authorities and third-sector organisations. Government figures indicated that more than 90,000 Scottish adults could be experiencing problem gambling.
Scotland has also allocated £375,000 during 2026 for community projects and research addressing the links between gambling harm and mental health, including suicide prevention. Separately, a government-backed study published on 7 August examined existing gambling treatment provision and geographic access to services as Scotland develops its longer-term support system.
GamCare’s move into the Highlands and Islands therefore adds targeted regional coverage to Scotland’s broader effort to make gambling harm treatment more accessible, particularly for communities that previously had limited access to specialist services.