A key committee within the UK Parliament has written to the Labour Government, urging a comprehensive reevaluation of the regulatory frameworks designed to
A key committee within the UK Parliament has written to the Labour Government, urging a comprehensive reevaluation of the regulatory frameworks designed to address gambling-related harms. The letter calls for a focus on areas including advertising, prevention, and treatment, and specifically requests a further review of the Gambling Act itself to ensure the legislative framework provides all relevant agencies with the necessary power and responsibilities to deliver a “total system response” to preventing these harms.
The letter was sent by the UK Parliament’s Health and Social Care Committee and was addressed to the Labour Government’s Under-Secretary of State for Public Health and Prevention, Ashley Dalton MP, and signed by the Committee’s Chair, Layla Moran MP. The committee stated that the letter was prompted by evidence gathered during a gambling-related harms evidence session held on April 2, 2025, as well as insights gained from a meeting between some committee members and the charity Gambling with Lives on April 22, 2025. The extensive letter covered seven distinct topics: prevention, regulation, and advertising; land-based gambling; research and data; treatment; monitoring implementation; suicide prevention and gambling-related deaths; and a review of the Gambling Act.
On the crucial topic of prevention, regulation, and advertising, the committee expressed concern in its letter, as reported by iGaming Times, that insufficient action is currently being taken to address the impact of gambling advertising. The committee highlighted data suggesting that 80% of the population is exposed to some form of gambling advertising weekly. Drawing on evidence presented, the committee noted particular concern regarding how intrusive and targeted some gambling promotion has become, including accounts from individuals receiving offers of free bets in the middle of the night. The letter conveyed that, in light of this, it was unsurprising to hear that some individuals experiencing gambling-related harms report feeling like “there is no escape” from gambling exposure.
In response, the committee recommended that the Prevention Commissioner and the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) should review the current regulation of gambling advertising, promotion, and sponsorship. This review, they suggested, should be conducted in collaboration with the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and the Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) to identify effective interventions that can reduce the visibility and accessibility of gambling advertisements. The committee argued in the letter, as reported by iGaming Times, that given the strong evidence presented on the impact of advertising, it is difficult to see how OHID can effectively develop a strategy to prevent gambling-related harms without considering the regulation of advertising and the broader commercial practices of the gambling sector. The letter also put forward the argument that regulation should adopt a risk-based approach, reflecting the fact that some forms of gambling are considered more harmful than others, and subjecting the most addictive and dangerous products to tighter control. This, they argued, should occur alongside regulation specifically focused on protecting vulnerable people. Specific areas that the committee recommended for review included limiting gambling advertising before the watershed, improving rules on the content of adverts to ensure they do not contain elements appealing to children and young people, strengthening rules on gambling sponsorship of sports teams and events, limiting the frequency and types of promotions and incentives sent to individuals, and aligning the regulatory approach for social media advertising with the broader approach for other forms of advertising. Additionally, the committee called for a public information campaign to educate the public on the potential risks associated with gambling, as well as dedicated communications tailored for those who participate in gaming.
Regarding the land-based gambling sector, the committee welcomed the government’s decision to pause regulatory changes related to the proportion of different machine types allowed in gaming centres. However, they raised concerns, as noted in the letter by iGaming Times, about the concentration of gambling establishments in areas of high deprivation and the challenges local authorities face when dealing with planning applications for these venues. To address these issues, the committee recommended that the relevant department should outline the support it will offer to local authorities and proposed that Directors of Public Health be designated as a responsible authority for the planning and licensing of gambling establishment applications.
On the topic of research and data related to gambling harms, the committee welcomed the recognition that evidence on the most effective prevention methods remains incomplete and acknowledged the objective of the Research Commissioner, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), to conduct further research to fill these evidence gaps. In its letter, as reported by iGaming Times, the committee recommended improvements to UKRI’s understanding of inequalities and health disparities concerning gambling-related harms to ensure that research adequately considers how different types of gambling activity can impact vulnerable and high-risk groups. Expressing concern about the data held by gambling companies regarding their players, the committee also called for the department to work with the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) to mandate greater transparency in the data the gambling sector holds, including exploring the publication of anonymised or aggregate data to support future research projects.
Concerning treatment services, the committee recommended that the government should make an announcement as soon as possible regarding which body will be responsible for commissioning treatment. This recommendation is in response to the abolition of NHS England, which previously served as the sole treatment commissioner for England. Specialist gambling treatment is currently commissioned by both NHS England and the charity GambleAware, with the latter commissioning services from the third sector. The committee also called for collaboration with the voluntary sector on how the new commissioning body will work effectively with third-sector providers of treatment services.
The letter also addressed the critical issue of suicide prevention and gambling-related deaths. Drawing on insights from their meeting with the Gambling with Lives charity, as reported in the letter by iGaming Times, the committee included the charity’s argument that most gambling deaths are not properly investigated in a way that provides justice for families or offers vital lessons that could save lives. This, the charity suggested, is due to a lack of awareness amongst coroners regarding the link between gambling and suicide, as well as the fact that problem gambling is rarely recorded in an individual’s medical notes. In response, the committee called for guidance on how awareness of “gambling suicide” will be raised among coroners and others involved in the investigation of sudden deaths, including outlining what training will be provided. The committee also asked how the new public health and preventative approach to gambling-related harms will be aligned with the existing Suicide Prevention Strategy action plan, which has identified gambling as one of six factors linked to suicide at a population level.
Regarding the monitoring of regulatory implementation, the committee welcomed the publication of the first National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) clinical guidance on gambling-related harms but asked how its implementation will be monitored and what training and support will be offered to medical professionals to facilitate its adoption. Additionally, the committee recommended that the Levy Advisory Group should publish an annual report detailing the effectiveness of levy funds in tackling gambling-related harms and identifying any ongoing gaps that need to be addressed.
Concluding its comprehensive letter, the Health and Social Care Committee reiterated its call for another review of the Gambling Act. This review, they argued, is necessary to ensure the legislative framework empowers all relevant agencies with the power and responsibilities needed to deliver a truly comprehensive system response to preventing gambling-related harm effectively across the UK.
