IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Money and Mental Health responds to government’s Gambling White Paper

27 April 2023

Today the government has published its Gambling White Paper outlining its plans to make regulation “fit for the digital age”.

It includes plans to introduce a mandatory levy on betting firms to pay for treatment of addiction, new player protection checks and stake limits for online slots.

Commenting on the white paper, Helen Undy, Chief Executive of the Money and Mental Health Institute, said:

“We’ve waited a long time for this white paper, so we’re pleased to see the government propose significant steps to reduce the financial and psychological harm gambling can cause and to support those at risk. In particular, we welcome the plans for a statutory levy on gambling operators to fund better support services and research, and the focus on making online gambling safer by introducing limits and considering restricting features such as excessive speed of play. These features can be particularly harmful for people with mental health problems who are more likely to struggle with impulse control and to access help to stop gambling.

“But the lack of measures to restrict gambling advertising is disappointing, and we would like to see legislation go further by putting in place stronger affordability checks too. Having waited so long for the white paper, which has already had extensive input from industry as well as campaigners, it’s also frustrating that the government is putting so much of this out for consultation. That could mean that much-needed reforms are just kicked into the long-grass again – particularly with an election looming.

“It’s vital that the government uses this pause to tackle the gaps in the white paper, so that we can see the changes needed to ensure consumer protections against gambling harms are fit for the 21st century.”

ENDS

To set up an interview or for any other media enquiries, please contact Rachel Fergusson, External Affairs Officer at Money and Mental Health, [email protected].

Notes to Editors

About the Money and Mental Health Policy Institute

The Money and Mental Health Policy Institute is an independent charity set up by Martin Lewis, and committed to breaking the link between financial difficulty and mental health problems. We conduct research, develop practical policy solutions and work in partnership with both those providing services and those using them to find what really works. www.moneyandmentalhealth.org