UK Gambling Sector Struggles Amid New NICE Guidelines
The Essentials at a Glance
The gambling industry in the United Kingdom is facing significant challenges. New guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), published on January 28, 2025, aim to reduce the negative impacts of gambling. These guidelines emphasize that treatment programs should remain free from the influence of the gambling industry. This has created tensions among stakeholders and raised questions about future funding and collaboration.
New NICE Guidelines and Their Implications
For the first time, NICE has issued clinical guidelines on the negative effects of gambling. A key point is that treatment programs should be designed independently of the gambling industry. This measure has led to uncertainties and tensions within the sector. Organizations like GamCare have already responded: the Safer Gambling Standard function was discontinued at the end of 2024 to avoid jeopardizing partnerships with the National Health Service (NHS).
Tensions Among Stakeholders
Frank McCready, former head of safer gambling at GamCare and a member of Better Change, describes the current situation as tense. Many stakeholders are unsure how to deal with the new guidelines. The guidelines have also led to the increasing exclusion of experts with connections to the gambling industry. Robert Mabbett of Better Change criticizes this development: “Experienced professionals are being excluded, even though their expertise has been built up over years.”
A concrete example of this exclusion occurred in East Yorkshire. Organizations with ties to the gambling industry were disinvited shortly before a public health event. McCready calls this a “clear example of direct exclusion.”
Uncertain Funding and Future Prospects
Between 2019 and 2024, gambling operators provided around £120 million (approximately $149 million USD) for research, education, and treatment. The new guidelines propose a mandatory levy expected to raise £100 million (approximately $124 million USD) annually. However, clear directives on how these funds should be allocated are still missing. This uncertainty is adding further strain to the industry.
Risk to Progress in Harm Reduction
Experts warn that excluding professionals with industry backgrounds could jeopardize progress in reducing gambling-related harm. McCready emphasizes that transparency and collaboration are necessary to tackle the challenges. Instead, he observes increasing division and the loss of valuable expertise.
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Our Assessment
The new NICE guidelines mark a turning point for the gambling industry in the United Kingdom. While the independence of treatment programs is an important step, the exclusion of experienced professionals could undermine the effectiveness of harm reduction measures. The unclear allocation of future funding adds to the uncertainty. Transparency and a cooperative approach are essential to achieving long-term progress.
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