A levy on casino and betting operators’ profits will bring in £100 million to put into tackling problem gambling, the Government has announced.
Under the plans, a statutory levy will be imposed on gambling operators, with half of the money to go directly to NHS-led treatment and support, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport has confirmed.
Online slot stakes will also be limited under the efforts to strengthen legislation on gambling addiction.
The mandatory levy aims to make consistent contributions from gambling operators to a ringfenced fund to prevent and tackle gambling harm.
A voluntary system is currently in place, which means some operators pay as little as £1 a year towards research, prevention and treatment.
The new system will charge a levy to all licensed gambling operators at different rates to take into account the difference in operating costs and levels of harmful gambling.
The Government will also introduce stake limits for online slots of £5 per spin for adults aged 25 and over and £2 per spin for 18 to 24-year-olds.
Gambling minister Baroness Twycross said: “Gambling harm can ruin people’s finances, relationships, and ultimately lives.
“We are absolutely committed to implementing strengthened measures for those at risk, as well as providing effective support for those affected.
“The introduction of the first legally mandated levy will be instrumental in supporting research, raising awareness and reducing the stigma around gambling-related harm.
“We are also helping to protect those at risk, with a particular focus on young adults, by introducing stake limits for online slots.
“These measures will help build an NHS fit for our future and strengthen protections whilst also allowing people to continue to gamble safely.”
The secondary legislation will be debated and approved in Parliament.
Of the funding from the levy, 50% will go to NHS England and bodies in Scotland and Wales for gambling support and treatment systems, from referrals and triage through to recovery and aftercare.
Another 30% will be invested in measures such as national public health campaigns and training for frontline staff, while the remaining 20% will be used for a research programme on gambling to be developed by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).
Some 2.5% of the population gamble in a “severe and harmful way” and many more people are affected, including family members and problem gamblers who are below the clinical threshold, Professor Henrietta Bowden-Jones, national clinical adviser on gambling harms at NHS England, said.
Claire Murdoch, NHS national director for mental health, said: “Problem gambling can completely ruin lives and the issue has skyrocketed, with NHS services treating record numbers and our latest data showing a staggering 129% increase in service referrals compared with the same period last year.
“I am delighted to welcome this commitment to a mandatory gambling levy which the NHS, bereaved families and the voluntary sector have been calling for so we can treat this growing problem – and we will continue to work with Government to do all we can to protect problem gamblers from this billion-pound industry.”
Will Prochaska, an independent campaigner for gambling reform, said: “We wouldn’t allow Big Tobacco to control lung cancer clinics and we mustn’t allow Big Gambling to control mental health services. The purpose of the statutory levy is to remove gambling industry influence, and it can’t come soon enough.
“It’s essential the Government gives power to the Department of Health to prevent gambling harm and that it doesn’t think this is job done on gambling reform. It must mark the beginning of a full government review of gambling’s place in society.”
Grainne Hurst, CEO at the Betting and Gaming Council, said that the gambling industry body supported plans published last year to reform stake limits and introduce a mandatory levy.
But she added: “Ministers must not lose sight of the fact the vast majority of the 22.5 million people who enjoy a bet each month, on the lottery, in bookmakers, casinos, bingo halls and online do so safely, while the most recent NHS Health Survey for England estimated that just 0.4% of the adult population are problem gamblers.
“The tone of this announcement suggests Government is at risk of losing perspective of these facts, while simply dancing to the tune of anti-gambling prohibitionists, which serves no-one.”
