After years of delay, the publication of the gambling white paper has finally brought some much-needed clarity to those of us working to keep people safe from gambling harms. The introduction of a statutory levy on the gambling industry is truly welcome, although the lack of greater regulation on gambling advertising and marketing is a missed opportunity. Given the delay to the already long-awaited reforms, it is imperative that the consultations on the details of the reforms are undertaken with urgency.

Putting things into perspective, the 2005 Gambling Act was developed for a different world. The first iPhone wasn’t available until two years later; people didn’t have access to a casino in their pocket.

Gambling harms can affect anyone. But, as with other public health