Gambling harms
There will be a Westminster Hall debate on gambling harms on 5 February 2025. The debate will be opened by Alex Ballinger MP.

This is a report on the House of Commons Committee Stage of the Gambling (Licensing and Advertising) Bill. It complements Research Paper 13/55 prepared for the Commons Second Reading.
Gambling (Licensing and Advertising) Bill Committee stage report (112 KB , PDF)
Under the Gambling Act 2005, an operating licence from the Gambling Commission is only required if at least one piece of remote gambling equipment is located in Great Britain. Remote gambling operators who locate all of their equipment offshore do not need a licence and are not subject to the regulatory supervision of the Commission, whether or not their remote gambling facilities are used by British customers. The 2005 Act does, however, prohibit overseas operators from advertising in Britain unless they are situated within the EEA (including Gibraltar), or in Antigua & Barbuda, the Isle of Man, or the States of Alderney and Tasmania (the “white listed” countries).
The Gambling (Licensing and Advertising) Bill is a short Bill that would amend the 2005 Act so that all remote gambling operators would be required to obtain a licence from the Gambling Commission to enable them to transact with British customers and advertise in Britain. The Government believes this will increase protection for British customers as remote operators would be subject to consistent regulation and required to:
• support action against illegal activity and corruption in sport
• contribute to research, education and treatment in relation to British problem gambling
• comply with licence conditions that protect children and vulnerable adults
Although Labour is supportive of the Bill, during Committee, the Shadow Minister for Sport, Clive Efford, tabled a number of new clauses on issues such as advertising, Internet Protocol (IP) and financial transaction blocking, problem gambling, spread betting, dormant betting accounts, and the horse race betting levy.
None of the new clauses were agreed to and the Bill was reported without amendment.
Gambling (Licensing and Advertising) Bill Committee stage report (112 KB , PDF)
There will be a Westminster Hall debate on gambling harms on 5 February 2025. The debate will be opened by Alex Ballinger MP.
A general debate on creative industries is scheduled to take place in the House of Commons Chamber on Monday 27 January 2025.
Construction work to repair buildings, including historic churches, is charged VAT at the 20% standard rate. The Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme provides grants to mitigate the VAT costs for these repairs.