Gambling: Academics call for statutory levy to reduce harm

More than 50 academic scientists have called for a statutory levy on gambling firms to bring about reductions in gambling harms, warning that the current voluntary system gives the industry too much influence on how the money is spent.

On 17 June the five largest members of the UK gambling industry’s representative organisation the Betting and Gaming Council announced that they will give £100m (€110m; $125m) to the charity GambleAware to improve treatment services for people with gambling problems.1

This funding was first promised on 2 August 2019 and was due to be given to the charity Action Against Gambling Harms, founded by the Conservative peer Peter Gummer. But in an open letter to the culture minister, Oliver Dowden, and the health secretary …