Recipe for Disaster - The Gambling Levy

Please be warned, this article is not a nice read. It is only my views, others are available. I could be wrong, Just ask my partner - I'm ALWAYS wrong.

By writing this, I reckon the amount of Christmas cards coming through my post box is about to shrink, but I believe it is important. RET providers must act now to prevent any demise within our sector, in particular within prevention.

Some time ago, I featured in an article within SBC, called Recipe for Disaster, in which I wrote

'‘(A levy would) no doubt put RET back to the dark ages of the mid-2010s’. Further implications would see the proposal lead to job losses and a likely ‘third sector funding exodus’, especially for smaller lived experience-based organisations that play a ‘vital role in prevention and treatment’." It doesn't fill me with glee to say, I was right. Of that, I can assure you. To date, I've evidenced 64 job losses from the RET sector, and predict another 100 - 150 jobs will have been lost by implementation of the Statuary levy as charities fight to survive within a new framework.

Over the last year, I've had countless messages from long standing, experienced and very much respected RET experts that are sadly having their positions removed due to restructures and funding cuts. An important distinction must be made at this point, the positions that vanished faster than my hair line were generally Prevention based, with some support and treatment, my own organisation has been through this. This is NOT the fault of the charities. It has been a grossly unprofessional roll out of a levy by both the previous, and current governments. Charities were forced to restructure and make cuts, that is the nature of these things.

Large charities became allergic to anything that connected them with the industry, and with good reason. Funding has become contingent on a complete distancing from industry, I task you to find a charity that is funded by RET that also proudly supported Safer Gambling week this year! now put yourself in their shoes, If you support SG Week, you may risk losing funding in the future, what would you do? For us at least, We're small enough and nimble enough to not have these worries. I'm in the fortunate position to be able to pull a middle finger up to the shackles, large charities aren't so lucky. Remember the Independence debate? The sector was APPRANTLY completely under the thumb of the industry and unable to make it's own decisions? Well now, in dependence is completely lost. Charities are forced to comply, and bow down, often against better judgement in order to exist.

A statuary levy by design, will cause more pain for charities. It is designed to rip up the current system, and replace it with the NHS, public health, councils and government led projects. The quicker RET realises this, the better we will all be. Whilst there is a fantastic opportunity for charities, in particular through the NGSN, There is a monumental concern for Prevention, in particular Education. It's been a number of years I've warned Education was on the brink, With a change to Research, Treatment and Prevention, Omissions from Henrietta Bowden Jones and the DCMS entirely within Comms, and most notably, The Gambling Commission changing it's Regulatory settlement rules to ensure all education had to be done with regulated bodies, for example OFSTED. It looks like the "Gambling companies teaching our kids" nonsense stuck, these that let it happen without push back should be ashamed of themselves.

The time for appeasement is passed. RET organisations need to stand up and be counted, for their service users and their teams, How many tens of thousands of people rely on our services? How many millions of young people have been educated as a result of our efforts and expertise? Why are we all hanging our heads in shame to appease those who hate our sector? Without the current funding mechanism, Deal Me Out would be Dead, Finito, Done. It is solely down to the support of operators that we are able to deliver life saving support and outstanding preventative education. What's more, I will not turn my back on a relationship with industry, It is of paramount importance the Gambling Industry takes RG seriously and has the ability to signpost it's customers. I will not compromise those that need our support for funding, and nor should you.

The statuary levy, in it's current form is not something I can support. It is simply, just designed to hurt our sector.