Reported in a letter sent to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), and seen by the BBC, a number of the industry’s largest stakeholders are said to have voluntary pledged an additional £100m in levy contributions in the latest move to combat problem gambling.
Reported by the BBC, key figured from William Hill, Coral, Ladbroke, Betfair Paddy Power, Skybet and Bet 365 have all allegedly committed to raise the voluntary levy on gambling profits from 0.1 per cent up to one percent over the next five years.
With the move being expected to raise up to £100m, it will be distributed towards gambling charities and problem gambling initiatives across the UK.
Jeremy Wright, Secretary of State at the DCMS, said: “I want the gambling industry to step up on social responsibility and keep their players safe, including through making more funding available for research, education and treatment to tackle problem gambling.
“I have met the major players in the sector recently and my department is in discussions with them on a strong package to increase their financial contribution, as well as make meaningful commitments on other measures to help ensure people gamble safely.
“Protecting people and their families from the risks of gambling-related harm is a priority for this government and I am encouraged that the sector now recognises that they need to do more.”
Previously, it was reported that the levy contributors during 2018 had only made a total of £10m, which was a significantly lower annual contribution required by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) to support addition staff, research and treatment.
The letter has also been reported to include a commitment from the operators to boost the number of responsible gambling messages throughout their advertising campaigns, with the intent on reviewing the overall “tone and content” of its advertisements.
As explained by the BBC, an extract of the letter to Jeremy Wright has explained that the contributing factors, which are representing half of the industry, are “committing to collaborate to address gambling-related harm with the priority of protecting the young and vulnerable.”
