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

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay on 17 November (HL3696), what is their estimate of the total number of stolen funds that are used for gambling purposes each year.

The Written Answer of 17 November set out amounts divested by licensed operators in cases where there was both identified anti-money laundering failings and criminal spending and an individual was criminally convicted. The Gambling Commission does not hold further data on stolen funds used for gambling purposes.

All gambling operators have a responsibility to keep financial crime out of gambling. The Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 places an obligation on operators to be alert to attempts by customers to gamble money acquired unlawfully, either to obtain legitimate money in return or simply using criminal proceeds to fund gambling.