APCC statement on announcement of statutory levy on gambling companies
Responding to the Department for Culture, Media & Sport announcement of a mandatory statutory levy on gambling companies, the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners’ Joint Leads on Addictions & substance misuse, PCC Joy Allen and PCC David Sidwick, said:
“Too many lives are ruined and lost to gambling, and too much crime is committed with gambling being a driving factor.
We welcome the Government’s intention to introduce the much-anticipated statutory levy on gambling companies, something we have called for over the last few years. We also welcome the investment in research, education, and treatment, although just 1% of gambling profits may not go far enough, especially when the Drug Strategy was underpinned by a £3 billion investment.
We note that the final report of the Howard League Commission on Gambling and Crime called for ‘funding to support a systematic approach to tackling gambling-related harms across the criminal justice system’. PCCs are well placed to be commissioners of funding to prevent gambling across the criminal justice system, through existing partnerships like the Combating Drugs Partnerships, and Local Criminal Justice Boards of which many PCCs are Chairs.
This announcement is a step in the right direction, but prevention is key and PCCs can play a more central role to help reduce harms that gambling causes to people in our local communities.”