It comes in the wake of statistics from the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) that 24.5 million people in England – half the adult population – gamble each year, including participation the national lottery. Professor Henrietta Bowden-Jones, National Clinical Advisor on Gambling Harms at NHS England found that 2.5% of gamblers were ‘problem gamblers,’ which is defined by the OHID as people who gamble ‘to a degree that compromises, disrupts or damages family, personal or recreational pursuits.’
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The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) found that the gambling operators that facilitated the addiction sometimes paid as little as £1 from the current voluntary system towards gambling prevention, treatment or research. The statutory levy will ensure all operators contribute fairly by charging 0.1 – 1.1% of the Gross Gambling Yield (GGY). Andrew Gwynne, Minister of Health said: ‘This levy will provide an important funding boost for the NHS, whilst also enabling independent research and more effective prevention initiatives.’
The levy is predicted to raise £100 million, with the DCMS confirming that 30% of the funds will be invested into prevention, and 20% dedicated to research to better inform the development of regulation and policy. 50% of the funds however will be dedicated to the NHS for gambling support and treatment, as gamblers being referred to NHS services had reached ‘record numbers,’ according to Clair Murdoch, NHS National Director of Mental Health:
‘Problem gambling can completely ruin lives and the issue has skyrocketed, with NHS services treating record numbers and our latest data showing a staggering 129% increase in service referrals compared with the same period last year.’