Committee Hearing on Gambling-Related Harm

The committee is set to receive insights from a range of experts on the issue of gambling-related harm.
Legislators are actively gathering input to enhance protective measures.
The committee will evaluate strategies to improve public health responses.

The Health and Social Care Select Committee is scheduled to convene on Wednesday, April 2, at 9:30 am. During this session, they will receive evidence from a variety of experts specializing in gambling-related harm and addiction.

Lawmakers to Gather Additional Evidence on Gambling-Related Harm

The committee will review the current evidence regarding the impact of gambling-related harm on individuals. They will explore potential strategies to develop a more effective public health response to this pressing issue.

During this session, legislators aim to gain insights from leading experts in the field. This will aid in developing a comprehensive framework aimed at enhancing consumer protection measures across the board. This initiative comes at a time when gambling participation in England has reached an estimated 25 million people, according to 2023 data.

The focus will be on the involvement of public health teams within local authority services to mitigate the risks associated with gambling-related harm. Additionally, lawmakers will seek to understand whether current safeguards are adequately addressing issues such as the protection of vulnerable consumers and children.

The expert witnesses attending the Wednesday session include individual researchers, regulatory figures, and health representatives:

Professor Sam Chamberlain, a Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Southampton and Director of the Southern Gambling Treatment Clinic
Professor Heather Wardle, the Co-Chair of the Lancet Public Health Commission on Gambling and Professor of Gambling Research and Policy at the University of Glasgow
Lucy Hubber, the Director of Public Health in Nottingham, representing the Association of Directors of Public Health
Professor Henrietta Bowden-Jones OBE, the National Clinical Advisor on Gambling Harms
Andrew Vereker, the Deputy Director for Tobacco, Alcohol, and Gambling at the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities
Tim Miller, the Executive Director of Research and Policy at the Gambling Commission

The United Kingdom is making strides towards creating an industry that is more sensitive to the needs of its most vulnerable consumers. As part of these efforts, a statutory levy will be imposed on gambling operators starting this month.

This levy aims to generate funds for independent research, treatment options, and other initiatives focused on reducing gambling-related harm and safeguarding public well-being. Previously, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommended that general practitioners include questions about gambling habits in their routine inquiries about smoking and drinking.