Following the release of the White Paper back in April, NHS England and GambleAware have released statements supporting the move to introduce the compulsory levy on operators.
The statutory levy would replace the current, voluntary levy, and be used to fund projects and services related to gambling harms.
Henrietta Bowden-Jones, National Clinical Advisor on Gambling Harms for NHS England, said: “The statutory levy agreed in the recent Gambling White Paper has the potential to finally ensure the independence of funding for treatment and research programmes, as well as for prevention initiatives to address gambling harms.
“It must be implemented without delay in order for fully integrated treatment pathways to be established.
“The NHS has no wish to be the sole provider of all gambling treatment at national level, on the contrary, it is committed to working with non-statutory providers of gambling treatment across the country."
As a national independent charity, GambleAware is dedicated to the prevention, support and treatment of harmful gambling, and is comprised of a number of leading NHS figures.
Zoë Osmond, GambleAware CEO, said: “This statement from NHS England confirms the positive and constructive working relationship between the NHS and GambleAware.
“In our role as leading charity and strategic commissioner, partnership with those across the healthcare sector is vital.
“Through our commissioning of the National Gambling Support Network, we look forward to continuing to work closely with the NHS to ensure people are able to seamlessly access the services they need.”
In May, the official NHS Health survey was released, which showed the rates of problem gambling in England.
