Commission on Crime and Gambling Related Harms

The "Committee on Gambling Crime and Damage", established in June 2019 by the Howard Criminal Reform Federation, aims to answer three questions:

• Rust} What kind of connection is between the damage related to gambling and the crime?
• How does these connections affect local communities and society?
• what to do

The committee held the first working meeting in June 2019, began recruiting evidence, and scientists in criminal science, law, health fields, practitioners, policy proprietors, representatives, and experience in the gambling industry. We called for the participation of people who are experts. The committee held a limited committee evidence meeting with ministers and senior stakeholders.

In 2022, the committee changed its name to the "Gambling Crime and Damage Committee on Gambling" (former "Crime and Problem Gambling Committee") to reflect the results and life experience.

The committee ended his activities in April 2023, submitted a final report, and held a reception in the House of Repidants, chairman of the chairman Goldsmith CC.

Final report: findings and recommendations

The committee is based on a limited existing evidence of gambling harm and the nature and relationship of crime. The committee aimed to deal with these gaps in knowledge and understanding, identify and develop the initiative and excellent practice.

The committee's findings and proposals are summarized in the final report and are available here.

The committee discovered the following:

• Gamblin g-related damage and crime affect every aspect of life, such as economy, work, human relationships, and health. The perception of this fact is growing.
• Many people commit crimes to raise gambling funds.
• Gambling is associated with various crimes, and has a causal relationship and background. Whit e-collar crimes, steals on the street, domestic violence, neglect, crime damage, drug crimes, etc.
• Victims of gamblin g-related crimes include employers (acquired crimes) and social / family networks (acquired crimes and violence crimes).
• There are good practical examples, but criminal judicial agencies do not understand the harm or addiction of gambling. This affects sentencing, rehabilitation, recovery, and support.
• Some criminal judicial policies, such as criminal revenue order (POCA) and gambling culture in prison, are counterproductive.
• Gambling and crime harms have a disproportionately large and under-researched impact on victims, women and minority ethnic groups.

Our recommendations

Develop a strategic approach

• Dedicate gaming commission revenues to local and regional criminal justice and health infrastructure related to treatment and support (police, courts, prisons, support pathways).
• Support the Ministry of Justice (MU) and the Home Office, with a lead role, to raise awareness of the issue of gambling-related harms in the criminal justice system and to fund systemic approaches.
• Establish a national consultation with high-value criminal justice and health authorities, including representatives of life experience.

Strengthen the role of criminal justice

• Develop screening and assessment processes, leadership and training at various stages of criminal justice.
• Develop pathways and means of support at refusal and entry point, in collaboration with criminal justice and health authorities.
• Integrate the voice of life experience.
• Leadership from the Royal County Service on the use of POCA in gambling-related cases.
• Review of Ministry of Justice pilot projects and existing options for sentencing for gambling-related offences.
• space} Improved counselling guides on reducing gambling conditions, offences and penalties.
• Review of leadership based on equal appeal, considering gambling disorders alongside the current consideration of drugs and alcohol.
• HMPP to recognise and consider the nature of gambling in prisons and how best to achieve cultural change in relation to gambling in the prison environment.

Integration of gambling-related offences in inter-governmental activities

• Parliamentary Electoral Committee investigation
• Inter-departmental oversight body.
• External review of regulator/operator measures to counter criminal activity, gambling-related harm and support.
• In-depth review by the Home Office and Gambling Commission into the application and feasibility of asset termination.

Areas requiring further research

• Prevalence and potential determinants (relationship between gambling and crime, intersection of demographic and social factors, harm through intergenerational interactions, impact of distribution and availability of gambling products). space} The relationship between gambling and crime, the intersection of demographic and social factors, harms caused by intergenerational interactions, and the impact of distribution and availability of gambling products.
• Spatial
• To support the work of the Commission, an educational program of scientific literature was carried out. Likbez "Crime and Problem Gambling: Research Landscape" can be downloaded here.

Research and publications

In October 2021, it published the "State of the Game" report, which summarizes the data currently collected and gives a first guess to governments and politicians. It can be found here.

The Commission also published a report on its own first research programme "Understanding and Treating Committed Problem Gamblers". The absolute contents of the report can be found here, but the CV is here.

In March 2022, it published the report of its own second research programme "Not Living, but Surviving: Everyday Skills in Crime and Gambling". The full report can be found here and the CV here.

In June 2022, the European Commission published a report on its third research programme, "Awareness and police practice regarding gambling-related harm". The full report can be found here and the CV here.

In April 2023, it published a research report on "Gambling life skills, gambling-related harm and crime in working-class minority communities". The full report can be found here and the CV here.

The final report can be found here.

You can find out more about the Commission's research studies using the "Research Commission" diary on the right side of the page.

The title of the Commission has changed, but the original title has been preserved in past publications so that it will always be accessible.

Its work has been featured in a BBC Radio 4 documentary, dedicated to the overlooked odds of the criminal justice system supporting people who have suffered gambling-related crime and harm.

Media

The documentary, "Gambling in Justice", which first aired on 31 May 2022, is available to download and listen to on the BBC Radio 4 website and the BBC Sounds app.

Their work was featured on BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour in March 2023. Click here to listen to the interview until 15:10.

In December 2020, the Gambling Crime Damage Damage Countermeasures Committee submitted a document to the Law Committee to consider confiscation based on the Second Division of 2002 (POCA). This document can be viewed here.

Consultation responses

In March 2021, the committee submitted a proposal for the review of the Gambling Law 2005. You can browse this document here.

In December 2021, the committee applied for a NICE consultation for the authorities' planning for gambling: discover, diagnosis, and treatment. This document can be viewed here.

The committee was appointed leader by Lord Peter Goldsmith QC. He was appointed leader of 12 specialists who understood scholars and experts, gambling industries, and experienced gambling industry, who have experienced criminal justice and social health.

About the Commission

The members of the committee have studied the patterns of crime related to gambling damage and addiction and the social damage that linked two events, and tried to create advice on the government, gambling and criminal judicial systems.

The committee members did not pay much attention to individuals and treatments, and focused on the broad effects of crime and gamblin g-related damage to the topic with the local community. The committee discussed how it is possible to eliminate people suffering from gamblin g-related damage from the criminal judicial system.

The committee covers laws, policies, and global information practices, exploring the driving force for changes and practice. The committee interacted with industry leaders and politicians during the work.

Committee activities will be featured in domestic and overseas media and Howard League websites.

The Howard League held a satellite session on crime and gambling issues at the United Nations Crime Prevention Criminal Council held in Kyoto on March 8, 2021.

The Commission at the Fourteenth United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice

Click here for the session recording, and the summary can be seen below.

If you would like the latest information about our progress, please enter the form below. < SPAN> In December 2020, the Gambling Crime Damage Damage Countermeasures Committee submitted documents to the Law Committee to consider confiscation based on the Second Division of the Criminal Profit (POCA). This document can be viewed here.

Keep in touch with the work of the Commission

In March 2021, the committee submitted a proposal for the review of the Gambling Law 2005. You can browse this document here.