Wales to get £5m from gambling companies

WALES is to get £5m from the gambling industry which will be spent on research, prevention, and treatment services.

- RUTH MOSALSKI

The UK Government introduced a levy on the gambling industry to tackle gambling harm from April 6 this year, which is expected to make £100m a year.

Operators will be required to make their first payments by October 1 and Wales' share will be £5m per year.

The levy will be charged to all licensed operators and will guarantee increased, ringfenced and consistent funding to prevent and tackle gambling harm.

Under the current voluntary system not all gambling companies contribute equally, with some operators paying as little as £1 a year towards research, prevention and treatment.

The new, mandatory levy, means all operators have to pay the same.