346.This section provides the Secretary of State with reserve powers to impose an annual financial levy on the holders of all operating licences. The power cannot be exercised in relation to particular classes of operating licence. If introduced, the levy will apply to all classes of operating licence. The levy would be paid to the Commission, and treated as if it were part of the annual fee. This means that a licence would be revocable if the levy was not paid.
347.The money raised by a levy would be used for alleviating problem gambling. Thus, the Commission could spend it on purposes or projects related to gambling addiction or other forms of harm or exploitation associated with gambling. The Treasury and the Secretary of State must consent to the Commission’s expenditure of the levy. Such projects need not be undertaken by the Commission itself, but the Commission could fund others (including other public sector bodies) who are undertaking projects connected with problem gambling.
348.The section sets out the matters relating to the levy which must be set out in the regulations. A number of alternative methods for calculating the levy are listed, but none are mandatory. Depending on the method of calculation chosen, different levies could be charged to different operators. Before making these regulations imposing a levy, the Secretary of State must consult the Commission.
349.Provision is made, under Schedule 3 to the Act, for the National Lottery to be made subject to levy requirements also. A levy in these circumstances could not be imposed until the powers under this section had been exercised.
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