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

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the services available to address gambling addiction in the UK; and how they plan to further support those affected.

His Majesty’s Government recognises that, while millions of people gamble without experiencing problems, for some it becomes an addiction with serious consequences. The Gambling White Paper, published in April this year, outlines a balanced and proportionate package of measures in response.

The White Paper committed to introducing a statutory levy charged to gambling operators to raise trusted, ring-fenced funding for research into, and the prevention and treatment of, gambling-related harms. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has since launched a public consultation on the structure, distribution, and governance of the levy, which closes on 14 December.

We propose that the levy provides sustainable funding for HM Government to develop a co-ordinated approach to prevention at local, regional, and national levels. It will provide investment for organisations, including in the third sector, for harm-prevention activities across Great Britain. This will facilitate more upstream interventions in the prevention of gambling-related harms, and will raise awareness of harms and support pathways.

In England, the NHS Long-term Plan committed to expanding the geographical coverage of NHS services in England for people with serious gambling problems through the creation of 15 specialist gambling clinics by 2023/24, with £15 million of funding over this same period. Twelve of the 15 planned clinics are now open, with representation across every part of England. The three remaining clinics – in Liverpool, Blackpool, and Sheffield – will open by the end of the year.