Key points:
- A statutory gambling levy will replace the current voluntary system, generating £100m annually for addressing gambling harms
- Glasgow seeks equitable funding to address gambling issues concentrated in deprived areas
- Councillor Doherty calls for clarity on fund allocation and proposes Glasgow as a UK centre for excellence in tackling gambling harms
A Glasgow councillor has raised questions about how the UK Government’s proposed mandatory gambling levy will benefit local communities, particularly in areas disproportionately affected by gambling-related harms.
Glasgow, home to the highest number of bookmakers outside of London, faces significant challenges related to gambling, with national figures suggesting around one in 15 residents (approximately 45,000 people) may have a gambling problem.
These issues are often concentrated in the city’s most deprived areas, such as Shettleston.
The statutory levy, announced last month, aims to generate £100m ($128m) annually for the research, prevention and treatment of gambling harms. It replaces the existing voluntary system, under which contributions from gambling operators vary widely, with some paying as little as £1 annually, and seeks to ensure a fair contribution from all operators.
Councillor Laura Doherty, Glasgow’s gambling harms lead, welcomed the levy but stressed the need for clarity on how funds will be allocated and their impact on Scottish communities.
She emphasised the importance of equitable funding, noting that 50% of the levy is earmarked for treatment. But, details on its implementation in Scotland remain unclear.
Doherty stated: “We must see equitable funding come directly to Scotland and Glasgow in order to fund treatment and support its work on addressing gambling harms.
“The UK Treasury must design and deliver funding that is proportionate and fair and invests in those local communities where there is a proliferation of ‘environmental bads’ such as gambling fuelled by poverty and its harms addressed.
“Glasgow's track record of a whole systems approach involving researchers, stakeholders and people with lived experience sets it apart, and due to this, Glasgow is best positioned as a city to develop a UK centre of excellence in addressing gambling harms, to fund research, education and treatment of gambling harms as outlined in the announcement.”
