Zoe Osmond, the Chief Executive Officer of GambleAware, has welcomed the establishment of a statutory industry levy. She has hailed the establishment with the belief that it will help fund gambling harm RPT, that is, research, prevention, and treatment.
The UK government is expected to raise approximately £100 million every year. This roughly translates to $121.7 million a year. The levy sets aside a 1% fee on gross gambling revenue. It applies to online gambling operators only. The applicable percentage for traditional shops and casinos is 0.4%. The levy will be payable to the Gaming Commission. The idea behind implementing a particular levy is to make sure that operators pay their dues.
She stated that they have long advocated for this to occur, adding that it will facilitate long-term planning, prevent redundant efforts, and provide clarity regarding funding for gambling-related offenses.
While she has hailed the move, Osmond has also raised concerns over not having a national strategy to deal with gambling harm. The proposal has not mentioned the point of a national strategy. Moreover, she has sought the appointment of a single commissioner to look over the treatment and prevention of gaming addiction.
BGC, the Betting and Gaming Council, has backed the industry levy. But. it has asked for a broader implementation of it, covering all the operators, including the National Lottery.
Developments on white paper are underway. So far, it calls for checks on affordability, machine numbers, and sports betting. The next round of consultation is expected to happen soon and close in the next 2-3 months of this year.
The UK industry levy comes days after GambleAware appointed Andy Boucher as a trustee. They have experience working as a partner with PwC, which is PricewaterhouseCoopers. Boucher has already voiced their support for the commissioning of best practices in prevention, treatment, education, and support services.
According to online betting news, the Gambling Commission made a move in the last days of December by announcing new consultations on fines. The aim is to gain clarity over how penalties are calculated so that the process is transparent. The consultation is expected to run for 13 weeks, covering aspects like the starting points of fines and how penalties should be judged.
Gambling Commission will, additionally, acknowledge the complexities involved in mergers and acquisitions amid increasing globalization. This will enable them to better report financials to authorities while also boosting regional businesses.
Back to GambleAware, the company was found linking problem gambling with discrimination. The company said that people belonging to the minority section of the population with a heavy influence on problem gambling were 50% more likely to experience racism or discrimination. This is based on research that has been carried out by ClearView Research and Ipsos UK and has been commissioned by GambleAware.
The UK statutory levy has gained the support of all major players, with a slight concern about having a nationwide strategy for problem gambling.
