The UK’s statutory levy to fund gambling harm prevention, education and treatment will come into force on April 6 this year.

Gambling minister Baroness Twycross has also confirmed that online slot stake limits will come into force in two stages in April and May.

The £5 stake limit for players aged 25 and over will be applicable from April 9 while the £2 limit for 18-24-year-olds will take effect from May 21.

Companies will be required to make their first statutory levy payment by October 1.

Online gambling operators must pay one per cent of their gross gambling yield (GGY) while land-based casinos and betting shops will pay 0.4 per cent of GGY.

The Labour government has appointed the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities in the Department of Health and Social Care to be the lead commissioner for gambling harm prevention.

Baroness Twycross was speaking at the Betting and Gaming Council AGM 2025.

“We are working at pace with the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, NHS England, UK Research and Innovation, and with partners in Scotland and Wales, to build robust foundations for the future system,” Baroness Twycross said.

“It is crucial we put the right commissioning, accountability and governance arrangements in place.

“We want to build on the successes of the current system. But the levy will mean funding certainty. This will allow the expert bodies we have appointed to boost efforts to further understand, tackle and treat gambling harm.

“We and the commissioning bodies will be led by the best evidence to get funding where it is needed most.”\

Casino legislation

Elsewhere, the gambling minister confirmed that the government is “moving forward” with land-based casino legislation updates.

White paper proposals will allow casinos to offer up to 80 gaming machines and there will be a sliding scale of machine entitlements based on the size of a property.

The government will also allow casinos to offer sports betting, as is a staple of the US land-based betting market.

“These changes will unlock investment in the casino sector and should provide an economic boost for both operators and machine manufacturers,” the minister said.

“We are working as quickly as we can to ensure that legislation is laid in Parliament as soon as possible. I know the significance of these measures to many of you here today.”

Baroness Twycross also touched on gambling advertising and the illegal market.

“We know that some people can feel they are being inundated with gambling advertising – and this can be especially true whilst watching sport,” she said.

“Crucially, we know that advertising can have a disproportionate impact on those who are already suffering from gambling harm. We must also be vigilant to any adverse impacts on children and young people.

“So, I am keen for the industry to take the lead in making a robust assessment of the scale and impacts of advertising, so that we are working with the best available evidence.”

Baroness Twycross said she has “heard” the gambling industry’s argument that “overregulation leads to, or risks, displacement to the illegal market.”

She said: “We believe the reforms we have introduced together with the Gambling Commission are proportionate and targeted interventions.   

“However, I agree that vigilance is vital when the illegal market threatens revenue for the licensed sector and player protections for vulnerable customers.

“That is why I have been pleased that the Gambling Commission has increased disruption activity and has a renewed focus on finding innovative ways to tackle the illegal market.”

A recent Gambling Commission investigation has led to the withdrawal of Stake from the Great British market.

Baroness Twycross said the Crime and Policing Bill, introduced into Parliament this week, will allow the Gambling Commission “greater powers to move quickly and effectively to take down IP addresses and domain names associated with illegal websites.”

The Gambling Commission, meanwhile, has been urging companies to carry out due diligence on their partners after an investigation into Evolution.