Gambling

(asked on 7th September 2021) - View Source

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether his Department is taking steps to prevent people from developing a problematic relationship with gambling by adopting a public health approach to that matter.


Answered by
John Whittingdale Portrait
John Whittingdale
This question was answered on 15th September 2021

The government views gambling-related harm as a public health issue. Gambling legislation and the requirements placed on operators by the independent regulator, the Gambling Commission, are intended to offer a wide range of protections, from those which make gambling safer for the population as a whole, such as controls on gambling products, to tailored protections for groups such as children and specific targeted interventions and support for those at most risk of harm. We are reviewing the Gambling Act to ensure that the protections in place are appropriate for the digital age.

In 2019, the government secured a commitment from industry to contribute £100m over four years to problem gambling treatment, alongside NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care continuing their work to improve and expand specialist treatment services. Up to 15 new clinics are set to open by 2023/24, 3 of which are already in operation.

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