CQC’s assessment of gambling treatment services: End of programme report

This report reflects the findings from assessments of 14 organisations that provide gambling treatment services as part of the National Gambling Support Network (NGSN).

The NGSN provides free, confidential and personalised support across Great Britain for anyone experiencing gambling harms, as well as those affected by someone else’s gambling. The NGSN provides the majority of treatment and support delivered for people affected by gambling harms across Great Britain.

The Gambling Commission is the regulator of individuals and businesses (including gambling operators) that provide licensed gambling in Great Britain. The Gambling Commission does not regulate or provide oversight for treatment services itself, but it has a legal duty (under section 26 of the Gambling Act 2005) to advise the Secretary of State on a number of areas, including ‘the effects of gambling’.

GambleAware is a leading independent charity that commissions research, prevention and treatment services across Great Britain to keep people safe from gambling harms. GambleAware commissions the gambling treatment services provided through the NGSN.

Up to the end of March 2026, GambleAware monitored the quality, value, safety and performance of preventative and treatment support provided through NGSN services to ensure consistent standards across the network. However, following statutory changes to the way these services are provided, GambleAware closed in March 2026. Commissioning for NGSN services transferred to NHS England, NHS Scotland and NHS Wales, which affected the way that NGSN services were delivered.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of health and adult social care in England. Ahead of the transfer of services, CQC provided a one-off assessment of treatment services for gambling harm.

We inspected the 14 services provided through the NGSN to assess whether they are delivering good quality, accessible and effective care, treatment and support. Following an initial period of scoping, piloting and developing a bespoke assessment framework, we carried out the 14 assessments between May 2025 and March 2026. As CQC does not register or regulate these services, we could not use our powers of enforcement during this programme.