Glasgow wins gambling harm funds as one in 15 at risk of addiction
Glasgow receives £3.44 million to tackle gambling harms amid concerns over the city's high density of betting shops.Summary
Glasgow has been awarded £3.44 million over three years to launch the Glasgow Project, a citywide public health programme aimed at tackling gambling harms. The funding, secured through a bid to the Scottish Government's new statutory Gambling Levy, will support a whole-system, preventative approach. This includes workforce training, early intervention, youth services, financial inclusion, and targeted community activity. The initiative, overseen by the Health and Social Care Partnership, will also ensure that lived experience helps shape delivery. The announcement comes as the city, which has more bookmakers than anywhere else in the UK outside of London, faces concerns over the proliferation of betting shops. Councillors Laura Doherty and Elaine McSporran highlighted that one in 15 people in Glasgow may have a gambling problem. McSporran and fellow ward councillor Alex Wilson are currently objecting to a proposed planning application in Cardonald that would bring the total number of bookmakers within a five-minute walk to four.
(Source：Glasgow Times)