Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what her policy is on the introduction of a compulsory levy on licensed gambling businesses to help treat problem gamblers.

As I made clear at Departmental Oral Questions on 14 September, I am determined that the gambling industry acknowledges its social responsibilities, including properly funding the work undertaken by GambleAware, and other organisations, on research, education and treatment for gambling-related harm.

The industry currently contributes over £8 million per year to GambleAware. GambleAware is seeking to increase this to £10 million per year in line with work that has been done by the Responsible Gambling Strategy Board (RGSB) to cost the short term work of delivering the National Responsible Gambling Strategy.

The industry must step up and fulfill their obligations under these new targets.