The UK’s Health and Social Care Select Committee is set to examine and discuss the effect of industry developments on gambling harm. Among other things, MPs and experts will discuss how the shifting perception of gambling has affected problem gambling in the country.
The Session Will Examine the Impact of the Latest Developments
According to the Health and Social Care Committee’s announcement, its official one-off oral evidence session will take place at 9:30 am on April 2. During the session, MPs will examine the broader impact of the latest developments in gambling.
The Health and Social Care Committee emphasized that in 2023 alone, 25 million people in England gambled. In the financial year to March 2024, the UK gambling industry recorded a gross gambling yield of £15.6 billion.
As the industry grows and gambling becomes a more widely accepted pastime, the perception of gambling has also shifted. According to the Health and Social Care Committee, the UK government wants to further this cultural shift by reducing the stigma associated with problem gambling.
As things stand currently, many people who have been harmed by gambling refuse to seek help because they fear the stigma they could face. Experts believe that by minimizing gambling-related stigma, more people would seek addiction treatment.
In the upcoming oral evidence session, MPs will “probe what is needed to develop an effective public health response to gambling-related harms.” In addition to that, government representatives will seek a better understanding of the government’s role in delivering such work.
MPs Will Inquire Whether the Safety Measures Are Sufficient
The April 2 session will see MPs question the public health response team on various problem gambling-related matters. In addition to that, they will inquire about witnesses’ views on the role of public health teams. MPs will therefore seek an understanding of what the government and local authorities can do to reduce gambling-related harms.
Another important topic will be whether the current rules are sufficient to shield children and vulnerable groups from gambling-related harms.
The Health and Social Care Committee also emphasized that, in November last year, the government confirmed the introduction of a statutory levy on gambling operators. This measure was initially outlined in the Gambling Act white paper and will effectively replace the previous voluntary donations scheme.
In April 2025, the UK Gambling Commission will finally implement the levy. In light of this, the Health and Social Care Committee’s session will see MPs discuss the commissioning of effective treatment and prevention services in the context of the statutory levy.
Many Experts Will Take Part in the Meeting
The Health and Social Care Committee unveiled a list of notable people who will serve as witnesses. According to the announcement, these include the following:
From 9.30 am
- Professor Sam Chamberlain, Professor of Psychiatry, University of Southampton and Director of the Southern Gambling Treatment Clinic
- Professor Heather Wardle, Co-Chair Lancet Public Health Commission on Gambling and Professor of Gambling Research and Policy, University of Glasgow
- Lucy Hubber, Director of Public Health in Nottingham, Association of Directors of Public Health
From 10.30 am
- Professor Henrietta Bowden-Jones OBE, National Clinical Advisor on Gambling Harms
- Andrew Vereker, Deputy Director for Tobacco, Alcohol and Gambling, Office for Health Improvement and Disparities
- Tim Miller, Executive Director of Research and Policy, Gambling Commission