Gambling Commission Launches New Strategy in UK

The UK Gambling Commission has launched a new three-year strategy to Reduce Gambling Harms. Health bodies, charities, regulators and businesses will come together in partnership to effectively tackle the issue. It will make a significant progress towards a clear public health prevention plan which includes the right mix of interventions. It will also deliver truly national treatment and support options that meet the needs of users.

As part of the new strategy, the Commission will continue to take a firm regulatory enforcement approach whilst also further improving gambling harms research and evaluation so that there is widespread adoption of what works. The Commission will also explore the establishment of a new National Research Centre and work is being undertaken to build a National Data Repository for research purposes.

Ahead of the new strategy launch, last month the Gambling Commission also announced that its independent advisors, the Responsible Gambling Strategy Board (RGSB), had been renamed as the Advisory Board for Safer Gambling (ABSG) as part of a renewed focus on the safety of consumers and prevention of harm.