Peers for Gambling Reform

Peers for Gambling Reform is delighted that the Government has appointed the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) as the lead commissioning body under the statutory levy. PGR has long maintained that OHID would be the most appropriate body for this role.

This announcement provides much-needed certainty regarding the independence of funding for prevention. We have consistently called for independent oversight and a stronger public health response to gambling-related harm, and we now look forward to working with the Government to ensure the Statutory Levy is implemented effectively, with a smooth transition between the old voluntary system and the new.

While we welcome the steps taken to deliver this pivotal proposal, we now implore the Government to press ahead with other vital measures outlined in the 2023 White Paper – including the creation of an ombudsman to ensure those harmed by gambling have a clear route to redress – and continue to go further by addressing gambling advertising, which was notably missing from the previous White Paper.