Member

At present, no specific requirement directly addresses disordered gambling. New clause 28 seeks to resolve that by establishing a statutory gambling treatment requirement for those serving community orders or suspended sentences. Most of those facing a custodial sentence leave custody without treatment. They do not recover from their addiction, and they are at an increasingly high risk of reoffending after losing their homes, jobs, and experiencing family breakdown. Prisons are often a hotbed for gambling activity, and treatment is absent. Ten per cent of men report gambling regularly while in prison, and 41% of people on probation report gambling more than once a week. Gambling disorders should therefore be recognised throughout the criminal justice process where gambling disorder is a causal factor.