Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether specific support is provided via the probation system to those suffering with gambling disorder.

Probation professionals work with every offender under supervision to address their need for support, and to assist them to make a fresh start, free from offending. We do this by focusing on what drives offending and therefore interventions that His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) currently delivers, though not designed exclusively for those with a gambling disorder, will be suitable for those for whom a gambling addiction is a factor in their offending. For example, those which tackle a number of the cognitive issues common to gamblers, such as lack of impulse control; poor consequential thinking and super-optimism (a thinking style that involves focusing only on unlikely positive outcomes and ignoring more likely negative consequences); risk-taking; and poor problem-solving.

HMPPS is currently undertaking a review to help identify the extent of those with a gambling disorder.