British Culture Secretary Suggests Tax to Fight Gambling Addiction

The British government is taking steps to deal with gambling addiction, especially among women. Unless online casinos decide amongst themselves to contribute more money towards fighting this problem, Culture Secretary Andy Burnham has threatened to introduce a mandatory tax. Of 3800 online casinos, only 360 have given any money this year to assist gambling addicts, a number Burnham has called unacceptable. "Regulators, legislators, operators and owners all have a duty to act in a socially responsible manner, accepting that, for some, gambling is an addiction, not a leisure pursuit," he said.

Studies show that an increasing number of women are fighting addiction, possibly due to the growing number of bingo websites. Britain's only residential centre for gambling addiction, the Gordon House Association, has seen an increase in women coming to them for support, noting that half the people who contact them for therapy are female, as opposed to five years ago when the number was 10%.

While the Gambling Commission reported only last year that gambling addiction had not significantly increased since its last survey nine years ago, many suspect that a large number of addicted gamblers remain unidentified due to embarrassment or the solitary nature of the activity.

The online gambling site Coral Gala Bingo has already come out and supported the idea of a mandatory tax, adding that their site is one of the biggest contributors to fighting addiction.

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