On the latest episode of iGaming Daily, Joe Streeter, Editor of CasinoBeats, was joined by SBC’s Content Director, Ted Menmuir, to delve deeper into the news that the UK government has cemented changes to the design of the Statutory Levy on problem gambling.

Concluding a break-neck November for the government, the DCMS confirmed that all licensed operators will pay a percentage of their Gross Gambling Yield. Online operators will contribute 1.1% of GGY and land-based casinos and betting stores will pay out 0.5% of GGY.

50% of the funds will go to the NHS to develop support and treatment systems and Ted explained that this is the biggest concern regarding the regulation, as previously voluntary funding for research was directed to charities such as GambleAware.

He said: “I think the sensitivities and anxieties are real. It comes back to [the fact] you are taking a network that’s been effective and are now going to drop and drag it into the NHS and a system that’s being reconfigured by the government.

“The NHS is a much bigger structure and it’s [about] how will the NHS oversee the development of RET projects and organisations but also how it treats the overall subject matter of problem gambling in the UK. 

“Organisations such as Ygam, GamCare and Gordon Moody that provide the frontline for treatment, these are organisations that have been birthed from the voluntary scheme and that connection is now going to move to the NHS. How will that be disrupted by such a large transfer.”

Joe agreed that it’s vital the organisation’s roles are still considered given they “have such a deeper understanding of the industry and understanding addiction and problem gambling”.

Considering how the transfer to the NHS can be successful, Ted also outlined the need for flexibility within the government in how it reviews the success of the levy in years to come. 

“It comes down to how the RET Levy and its structure will be reviewed in the coming years and actually the flexibility of the government in the response to the levy,” Ted explained. 

“Also, taking in the wider opinions and not being scared to review structures of what is working and what isn’t. At the end of the day, it’s actually quite easy, the review should be about are we becoming more effective at providing key services for problem gambling treatment support.

“I think the answer to this question is how the NHS stages its approach to implementing the levy and how it accommodates its new partners. We’re not just talking about GambleAware here, but we’re talking about regional treatment support services, people who provide training for the frontline at work. [It’s about] how these smaller integrations can fit in within the NHS’s framework for problem gambling.”