Sport: Doping and Illegal Gambling

Debate between Earl of Courtown and Lord Smith of Hindhead

Wednesday 24th February 2016 Lords Chamber

[The Earl of Courtown]

My Lords, there is a global body: WADA. The noble Lord will be very glad to hear that it pays a lot of attention to what we do over here.

[Lord Smith of Hindhead (Con)]

My Lords, the illegal gambling industry was estimated in 2013 to be worth upwards of £320 billion worldwide. Last year, receipts to Her Majesty’s Treasury from betting and gaming in the UK just exceeded £2 billion. Has an estimate ever been made of how much revenue is lost to the Treasury each year from illegal gambling in the UK?

[The Earl of Courtown]

My noble friend makes a very good point relating to illegal gambling. I missed the first part of his question, but I will write to him about the second part, in particular, because I do not have that information to hand.