New investigation into links between crime and problem gambling announced
A major investigation into the links between crime and problem gambling has been launched by the Howard League for Penal Reform.
The Commission on Crime and Problem Gambling will run for three years with the former Attorney General, Lord Goldsmith QC, as chair. He will lead a team of 16 commissioners, bringing together academics and professionals with expertise in the criminal justice system and public health, as well as experts with knowledge of the gambling industry and experience of addiction.
Lord Goldsmith QC, said: “Concern about harmful gambling activity has been growing for some time, but this is the first commission to focus specifically on the relationship between problem gambling and crime.
“Our commission will seek to establish what the links are; what impact they have on communities and wider society; and, crucially, what steps could be taken to reduce crime and make people safer.”
Tim Miller, executive director at the Gambling Commission, said: “This independent Commission on Crime and Problem Gambling will fill a significant gap in understanding the relationship between gambling harms and crime.
“We support the Howard League’s evidence-based and comprehensive approach and anticipate that the recommendations from the commission will help us make better and faster progress in delivering the National Strategy to Reduce Gambling Harms.”
The commission will investigate patterns of crime linked to problem gambling, and the societal harms that connect the two, before seeking to make recommendations for government, the gambling industry and the criminal justice system.
It will also look at the driving forces influencing change and practice, including legislation, politics and the media.
