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Summary of our advice

Our key recommendations and considerations are as follows.

The Gambling Commission’s role under a levy would be to collect and distribute the funds in line with the strategic direction of government, as set out in the government’s White Paper, High stakes: gambling reform for the digital age (opens in new tab), and in the government’s recently published consultation on the statutory levy on gambling operators (opens in new tab). The Gambling Act 2005 stipulates that all spending decisions on the levy are subject to Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and HM Treasury approval.

Under a levy system, commissioning bodies in receipt of levy funds must be responsible for ensuring that any applicable reporting and accounting requirements are fulfilled. The Commission should equally be subject to such requirements to the extent that government considers that the Commission should be in receipt of levy funds - for example for the purposes of conducting or commissioning research for regulatory purposes.

The Commission should also be responsible for demonstrating that it has delivered its administrative function appropriately and efficiently. However, the Commission's view is that it should not be responsible or accountable for the spending decisions or impact of other organisations in receipt of levy funds, including those in the public or the third sector as such a role would distort the Commission’s primary function as the regulator of the gambling industry.

An appropriate governance system should be put in place by government to support decision-making and to ensure a joined-up approach across commissioning bodies.

Collection structures and processes must be as efficient and effective as possible to ensure maximum funds are applied for the purposes set out in Section 123 of the Gambling Act (opens in new tab) and to ensure that the core purpose of the Commission as the industry regulator is not disrupted.

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Levy advice - Setting the levy quantum and proportions across the gambling industry

Last updated: 16 November 2023

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