Gambling charity GambleAware has reiterated its call for a mandatory levy on the gambling industry.
The organisation has once again called for a mandatory 1% levy on gross gambling yield (GGY) as part of a licence condition for gambling operators that could raise £140 million per year to help those experiencing gambling addiction or harm.
GambleAware has insisted that the growing cost of living crisis, the impact of the pandemic, and the UK’s current climate mean there could be an increase in the number of people experiencing gambling harm.
To battle the above, GambleAware has outlined six principles it believes must be undertaken to prevent gambling harm, one of which is the mandatory levy on the gambling industry.
The other principles include support for deprived communities, delivering local prevention and treatment services, assuming a date-led and innovation-driven approach, a coalition of expertise, and, finally, for investments from the gambling industry to be inspected through a tighter lens.
Zoë Osmond, the Chief Executive at GambleAware, said in a statement via CasinoBeats: “The ongoing impact of the pandemic, a growing cost-of-living crisis and shift to online gambling means there is a potential increased risk of people experiencing gambling harms that remains unseen until an individual reaches a crisis point.
“Without action now, many more people and families could suffer. That’s why we are calling o the government to introduce a mandatory, one per cent levy of GGY on the gambling industry as a condition of license.”
She added: This could be delivered in a matter of months and could almost treble the amount of funding going to preventing and treating gambling harms.”
The calls for a mandatory levy come after the NHS announced its decision to stop accepting funds from GambleAware and the wider gambling industry to treat those suffering from gambling addiction.
It also comes after the Gambling Commission announced new rules to protect at-risk customers and ahead of the UK government publishing its review of the Gambling Act 2005 next month.
