Asked by: Lord Foster of Bath (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to require British-licenced gambling operators to refrain from operating in overseas jurisdictions where they are not licensed.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Operators providing gambling facilities to customers in Great Britain must be licensed by the Gambling Commission and comply with the conditions of their operating licences. The Commission expects them to obey the laws of all other jurisdictions in which they operate, and requires them to report any regulatory investigation or finding into their activities in any other jurisdiction. They must inform the Commission if they have a substantial customer base outside of Britain and state why they consider they are legally able to offer facilities to those customers.
The Commission considers it is for operators to satisfy themselves that they are acting in a lawful manner in other jurisdictions and for authorities in those jurisdictions to investigate if they are not. Where a licensee is found to be operating illegally, the Commission may consider their suitability to hold a licence to offer gambling services in Britain.
Asked by: Lord Foster of Bath (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many investigations the Gambling Commission has undertaken since January 2025 into English football clubs advertising gambling operators alleged to be accessible from Great Britain; and how many prosecutions, fines, licence reviews or other enforcement action have been issued as a result of those investigations.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Under the Gambling Act 2005, there is no offence for advertising unlicensed gambling. The offence is for the advertising of unlawful gambling under section 330 of the Gambling Act. Unlicensed gambling becomes unlawful if the facilities are available to consumers in Great Britain. If an unlicensed gambling operator can demonstrate that British consumers are blocked from accessing, registering or gambling on its site, it would not be breaking the law. Nevertheless, we are aware that Internet Protocol (IP) blocking technology can be circumvented, usually where consumers use Virtual Private Networks.
It is for the Gambling Commission (GC) to decide when to investigate and what enforcement action may be required. The Commission is already taking forward action in this space. It independently verifies that effective blocking measures are in place, and has taken action where non-compliance has been identified. It may take action if a VPN was not effective or if, for example, the operator advertised routes around the VPN. The GC has had substantial engagement with football clubs on this issue, and has warned sports clubs that they could face prosecution if facilities to gamble are not blocked to consumers in Great Britain. Sports clubs are also expected to conduct ongoing monitoring of their sponsorship arrangements.
The Government believes that banning unlicensed sport sponsorship will bring clarity to this issue, and we will consult on this in spring 2026.
Asked by: Lord Foster of Bath (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether any sports clubs have been prosecuted under the Gambling Act 2005 for promoting or advertising gambling operators that are accessible from Great Britain without a licence; and if not, what factors have prevented prosecution in cases where accessibility has allegedly been demonstrated.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Under the Gambling Act 2005, there is no offence for advertising unlicensed gambling. The offence is for the advertising of unlawful gambling under section 330 of the Gambling Act. Unlicensed gambling becomes unlawful if the facilities are available to consumers in Great Britain. If an unlicensed gambling operator can demonstrate that British consumers are blocked from accessing, registering or gambling on its site, it would not be breaking the law. Nevertheless, we are aware that Internet Protocol (IP) blocking technology can be circumvented, usually where consumers use Virtual Private Networks.
It is for the Gambling Commission (GC) to decide when to investigate and what enforcement action may be required. The Commission is already taking forward action in this space. It independently verifies that effective blocking measures are in place, and has taken action where non-compliance has been identified. It may take action if a VPN was not effective or if, for example, the operator advertised routes around the VPN. The GC has had substantial engagement with football clubs on this issue, and has warned sports clubs that they could face prosecution if facilities to gamble are not blocked to consumers in Great Britain. Sports clubs are also expected to conduct ongoing monitoring of their sponsorship arrangements.
The Government believes that banning unlicensed sport sponsorship will bring clarity to this issue, and we will consult on this in spring 2026.
Asked by: Lord Foster of Bath (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Gambling Commission about its failure to take enforcement action against English football clubs advertising unlicensed gambling operators alleged to be accessible from Great Britain.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Under the Gambling Act 2005, there is no offence for advertising unlicensed gambling. The offence is for the advertising of unlawful gambling under section 330 of the Gambling Act. Unlicensed gambling becomes unlawful if the facilities are available to consumers in Great Britain. If an unlicensed gambling operator can demonstrate that British consumers are blocked from accessing, registering or gambling on its site, it would not be breaking the law. Nevertheless, we are aware that Internet Protocol (IP) blocking technology can be circumvented, usually where consumers use Virtual Private Networks.
It is for the Gambling Commission (GC) to decide when to investigate and what enforcement action may be required. The Commission is already taking forward action in this space. It independently verifies that effective blocking measures are in place, and has taken action where non-compliance has been identified. It may take action if a VPN was not effective or if, for example, the operator advertised routes around the VPN. The GC has had substantial engagement with football clubs on this issue, and has warned sports clubs that they could face prosecution if facilities to gamble are not blocked to consumers in Great Britain. Sports clubs are also expected to conduct ongoing monitoring of their sponsorship arrangements.
The Government believes that banning unlicensed sport sponsorship will bring clarity to this issue, and we will consult on this in spring 2026.
Asked by: Lord Foster of Bath (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether remote gambling companies licenced by the Gambling Commission can legally advertise in Northern Ireland; whether a resident in Northern Ireland can raise concerns directly with the Gambling Commission about breaches of a remote gambling operator's licence conditions; and whether the Gambling Commission has a duty to investigate potential breaches of remote gambling operator licence conditions in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Operators wishing to advertise remote gambling in Northern Ireland must hold a Gambling Commission licence, as per the UK’s Gambling (Licensing and Advertising) Act 2014. However, the Commission’s jurisdiction covers Great Britain: England, Scotland and Wales. It does not have powers to investigate and prosecute in Northern Ireland as gambling is a devolved matter. Nevertheless, a licensed gambling operator’s behaviour in Northern Ireland, or indeed in any jurisdiction, can inform the Commission’s consideration of whether the operator is suitable to be licensed in Great Britain.
Operators advertising remote gambling in Northern Ireland must also abide by the UK Advertising Codes, which are enforced by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) independently of the government. The ASA cooperates with relevant authorities to address any complaints relating to advertising of remote gambling in Northern Ireland.
As gambling is a devolved issue, gambling consumers in Northern Ireland do not fall under the protection remit of the Gambling Commission. The Northern Ireland Executive is responsible for the protection of consumers in Northern Ireland.
Asked by: Lord Foster of Bath (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to allocating a share of the statutory levy on remote gambling operators to Northern Ireland.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Wider gambling regulation is devolved in Northern Ireland and, as such, developing the most appropriate approach to tackle gambling-related harm to help residents in Northern Ireland is a matter for the Northern Ireland Executive. The Gambling Levy Regulations are subject to the jurisdiction of the Gambling Act 2005 and so profits levied in Great Britain will provide funding for projects and services in Great Britain only.
DCMS officials met with Northern Ireland officials in December 2025 to discuss a wide range of issues, including the levy.
Asked by: Lord Foster of Bath (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the role of the white label system in enabling foreign gambling operators to access British consumers without direct vetting by the Gambling Commission; and whether they plan to reform or abolish the white label system.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
We are not considering banning sponsorship activities conducted under a British gambling licence, which includes promotion of products and services subject to a white label arrangement with an appropriately licensed business. However, we will take note of responses relating to this issue during our consultation on banning unlicensed operators from sponsoring sport.
We are aware that there have been previous issues with white label partners acting in a manner that is not compatible with the Gambling Commission’s licensing conditions and codes of practice. A licensee is required to undertake due diligence of their white label partners and is held accountable for their actions.
We will work with the Gambling Commission to determine whether any action is required to further ensure that white label arrangements are sufficiently monitored and enforcement action taken where needed.
Asked by: Chris Evans (Labour (Co-op) - Caerphilly)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to develop a national fixed framework for the treatment of gambling-related harm.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England will be developing a national commissioning specification during the first half of 2026/27 to ensure consistent, high-quality care across all gambling treatment and support services nationwide. Given the evolving evidence landscape and NHS England’s plans to allocate funding to innovation and evaluation over the coming years, this document will be updated as required to reflect new findings.
Asked by: Chris Evans (Labour (Co-op) - Caerphilly)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much funding has been allocated from the statutory gambling levy to (a) NHS specialist gambling treatment clinics, (b) third-sector treatment providers, (c) local authorities and (d) other organisations; and if he will publish a breakdown of awards by recipient.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Subject to final checks, this year the statutory levy has raised just under £120 million, which will be ringfenced solely for the use of tackling gambling-related harm. In England, prevention and treatment funding will include: £15.9 million for integrated care boards in 2026/27 to commission regional National Health Service gambling services; up to £20 million through NHS England’s Gambling Harms Treatment Voluntary, Community, and Social Enterprise (VCSE) Grant Scheme to ensure that those affected by gambling-related harms can continue to access VCSE sector treatment and support services during 2026/7; up to £30 million through the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities’ VCSE Gambling Harms Prevention Fund for 2026 to 2028; a two‑year prevention grant for all upper tier local authorities for 2026 to 2028; and additional funding during 2026/27 for service delivery and programme activities, such as evaluation and workforce development. Details on awarded funding will be published in due course.
Asked by: Chris Evans (Labour (Co-op) - Caerphilly)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what definitions his Department uses for the purposes of determining which activities constitute (a) prevention and (b) treatment in relation to gambling-related harms when allocating funding from the statutory gambling levy; and whether those definitions have been published.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
For the purposes of the Voluntary, Community, and Social Enterprise (VCSE) Gambling Harms Prevention Fund for 2026 to 2028, potential activities include, but are not limited to: awareness and education; brief advice, early intervention, and harm reduction; community outreach and social action; support for affected others; digital tools, including gambling blocking tools; VCSE capacity building and resilience; and other non-clinical prevention activity. NHS England’s Gambling Harms Treatment Programme includes treatment and support services for those harmed by gambling, from the point of referral and triage through to aftercare and ongoing recovery support. Potential activities include clinical interventions such as cognitive behavioural support and non-clinical interventions, when functioning as psychosocial support and part of a structured care plan, such as peer support and recovery coaching. This information was published on the respective Find a Grant pages for each Fund.