DCMS has updated the Terms of Reference for the Gambling Levy Programme Board, providing further detail on the governance framework overseeing the distribution of funding for gambling-related harm research, prevention and treatment (RPT) initiatives, projects and programmes under the UK’s new statutory levy.

The Board is structured to bring together relevant UK government departments alongside representative authorities from the Scottish and Welsh governments, reflecting both the cross-departmental scope of levy spending and the devolved nature of health and education policy. 

DCMS states that the Board’s principal duty is to ensure that appointed commissioning bodies are delivering on the government’s objectives to improve and expand research, prevention and treatment of gambling-related harm.

The department notes that levy expenditure spans multiple departmental boundaries, making it necessary to establish a formal forum through which stakeholders can collectively monitor the levy’s progress and performance. 

As such, the Board holds collective responsibility for overseeing the overall functioning and health of the levy system, including whether it is delivering against agreed objectives and commissioning priorities. 

However, the department stresses that the Board does not hold responsibility for decisions on detailed expenditure programmes, which remain the responsibility of the individual commissioning bodies appointed by DCMS.

New leadership for new levy

Under the updated framework, the Gambling Levy is overseen by a role-based Levy Board, rather than by individually appointed public figures. 

The Board is chaired by the Director for Sport and Gambling at DCMS, a position currently held by senior civil servant Ben Dean, and is supported by the Deputy Director for Gambling and Lotteries, currently Julie Carney. 

DCMS has published an annex confirming that the Board comprises 10 members, all appointed due to their institutional role within the levy system rather than in a personal capacity.

DCMS retains overall responsibility for implementing the statutory levy. Under Section 123 of the Gambling Act 2005, the DCMS Secretary of State — currently Lisa Nandy — or the minister responsible for gambling policy, Baroness Twycross, holds final approval powers over levy funding allocations, alongside HM Treasury.

The Treasury is formally named in the legislation as a joint approver, providing fiscal oversight, though DCMS notes that its engagement is expected to be proportionate, particularly after the levy’s first year of operation.

Operational responsibility for commissioning is distributed across specialist departments. DHSC leads on treatment and public health, overseeing both NHS England as the treatment commissioning body and the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) as the prevention lead. 

DSIT acts as the sponsoring department for research through UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). Meanwhile, the Scottish and Welsh governments retain responsibility for prevention and treatment spending within their respective jurisdictions, reflecting the devolved status of health and education policy.

The implementation of the RPT levy – formerly the research, education and treatment (RET) levy – is one of the biggest ongoing adjustments for UK gambling, though next year’s tax raises will likely take this mantle from it.

Changes include the levy’s mandatory status, as well as the NHS taking over the lead from GambleAware as the main commissioner of treatment projects – a move that has led to the planned dissolution of GambleAware in March next year, wrapping up over 20 years of activity.