Key Moments:
- Baroness Twycross announced at the Gambling Reform Summit that she aims to promote sector growth while enhancing consumer protection measures.
- Attendees at the summit challenged the notion that industry expansion can align with efforts to minimize gambling harms.
- The government has introduced a statutory levy with an independent governance structure to oversee fair and effective allocation of funds.
Balancing Industry Expansion and Player Safety
At the Gambling Reform Summit, Baroness Twycross, the UK’s minister for gambling, outlined her determination to maintain both the growth of the gambling sector and the advancement of consumer protection initiatives. Speaking at the conference’s opening, she described the main challenge as achieving a balance between diverging views on gambling reform and ensuring ongoing support for the sector.
Baroness Twycross said, “It is a big responsibility, but I do want to continue with reforms that will improve consumer protection while supporting the sector that makes an important economic societal contribution.”
Her remarks, however, were met with skepticism by guests, who insisted that industry growth may undermine actions aimed at reducing gambling harms. The event drew a majority audience of reform campaigners, charities, researchers, and individuals with direct experience of gambling harm.
Implementation of the Statutory Levy
Addressing the forthcoming statutory levy, Baroness Twycross acknowledged the vital contributions of those present in its development. She said, “I think it is going to make a considerable difference.” Twycross noted that the three responsible commissioners in England require time to establish frameworks enabling efficient allocation of resources.
She added, “Although the relevant commissioners are leading the decision making, where appropriate we want to make sure that we maintain expertise and provision of service for those who need it most, ensuring a smooth transition to the new system and avoiding a cliff-edge improvision.”
Oversight of the levy will be managed by an independent body tasked with ensuring funds are distributed appropriately. As Baroness Twycross explained, “clear governance structure will look objectively at how the levy is working and hold the commissioners to account.”
She stated that decisions on funding allocation will follow an independent, impartial process and confirmed that this is a primary focus for the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).
Safeguarding Independence in Research Funding
The summit also addressed concerns highlighted in an April parliamentary health committee about research funding influenced by industry ties. During the session, Professor Sam Chamberlain of the University of Southampton remarked: “There’s been a lack of funding from our trusted funding bodies. In pragmatic terms, the industry has been giving cash to one massive charity that then has been handing out that money to various organisations. [But] I’m not saying that all of that work is invalid.”
Baroness Twycross reassured attendees there would be robust systems to eliminate and manage conflicts of interest, stating, “Independence is as important to me as it is to you. When I took on this role it was made really clear to me one of the greatest challenges you face in using research, was concerns over whether research was funded by organisations with clear vested interests and those couldn’t be trusted.”
She continued, “So I have been assured that robust processes will be in place to identify and manage any conflicts of interest, including ensuring there is no influence rising as a result of the previous funding arrangements [under the voluntary levy].”
The statutory levy, enacted by the government in April, entails active oversight by the Gambling Commission, including the publication of rate structures based on operators’ licenses. Non-compliance with levy obligations could result in operators losing their licenses.
Levy Governance and Industry Impact
| Key Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Statutory Levy | Mandated funding system for gambling sector oversight and research |
| Independent Governance | Board established to ensure objective fund distribution and accountability |
| Enforcement | Non-compliance with levy requirements can lead to license revocation |
- Author
Daniel Williams
