The UK Gambling Commission has announced it will be closing the group that oversees its National Strategy to Reduce Gambling Harm on the 19th September. The National Strategy was launched back in 2019 to help the UK’s approach to problem gambling but now a new body will be born which will have greater support, upcoming research and regulatory changes. The support group helped shape the government’s Gambling white paper major reforms.
Andrew Rhodes (CEO of the current group) said the Advisory Board for Safer Gambling (ABSG) had people that had life experience in gambling harm which made a special impact. However now new programmes are being funded by the statutory level the commission wants a more structure more suited for the future. The Statutory levy is a tax on gambling revenue for research, education and treatment to tackle harm.
The levy rollout has caused disruption in the current research and treatment sector which has a knockon affect for many organisations.
The UKGC Head of Governance Helen Child has praised the ABSG members for their valuable input and various contributions to the gambling regulation.