The Conservative Party Conference took place on 3 October 2023 and the event was called ‘The Gambling White Paper: Implications for Treatment’. The panel session was organised by Gordon Moody and Green Pen Consulting.
The panel included DCMS Minister, Stuart Andrew MP, Matthew Hickey, CEO of Gordon Moody, Graham England, CEO of Addiction Recovery Agency and Sarah Forshaw, Head of Service Development at Gordon Moody.
Attendees included MPs, Conservative Party members and journalists.
Jane Rigbye, CEO at Ygam, emphasised to the panel that – if implemented – a new levy system should provide a strong focus on the education and prevention of gambling harms.
The panel agreed that the new levy must present equal opportunities for funding.
On this, Rigbye said: “There appears to be a perception from some that organisations working in the current system are not independent from industry funders.
"This misguided narrative must not influence the new infrastructure and processes. All organisations seeking funding should be measured on the quality, scalability and impact of their services.”
In addition to this, she advised that the new levy must be able to recognise the distinction between research, education and treatment programmes and services.
She continued: “The lack of clarity around the levy means many donors are now reluctant to commit to funding until the consultation period is clearer and the new system is established.
"During this period, there is a risk that services provided by organisations who rely on the current system could be disrupted or discontinued.”
