Declares that legislation should be strengthened to allow family members to advocate for “at risk” adults who pose a risk to their own health and safety through gambling addition with GPs and local authorities where existing advocacy services do not currently apply; furthermore the training for GPs and other agencies around identifying the signs of gambling addiction and understanding the appropriate referral routes should be enhanced using the proposed gambling operator levy.
The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urge the Government to take immediate action to ensure NHS and local authority advocacy services allow for families to advocate for their “at risk” adult members and improve GP training in the area of gambling addiction utilising the proposed gambling operator levy.
And the petitioners remain, etc.—[Presented by Maureen Burke, Official Report, 16 July 2025; Vol. 771, c. 391.]
[P003096]
Observations from the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (Ashley Dalton):
The Government are committed to reducing and preventing gambling-related harms through regulatory reform, strengthening protections for those “at risk”, as well as across the general population.
The statutory levy on gambling operators, which came into effect in April 2025, provides independent, sustainable funding to support system-wide improvements in research, prevention and treatment of gambling-related harms across Great Britain.
The Government believe that the named levy commissioners are best placed to make decisions on the how to effectively utilise levy funding. The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, NHS England and appropriate bodies in Scotland and Wales are working collaboratively to determine the future approach to the prevention and treatment of gambling-related harms, considering the evidence of what works best in this space.
The potential for improving existing advocacy arrangements as well as the training of healthcare professionals have been identified as potential issues to consider as part of the ongoing development of the future commissioning programmes.
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport, as lead Government Department responsible for the statutory levy, will retain oversight of any spending decisions, ensuring accountability and effective use of funds.