Guidance

Gambling Levy Delivery Group: Terms of Reference

Published 18 December 2025

1. Purpose and role

The purpose of the Gambling Levy Delivery Group (the Delivery Group) is to act as the main forum to bring together the research, prevention and treatment (RPT) strands of the levy system and to support the lead commissioning bodies, devolved governments and their coordinating bodies in delivering on the government’s objectives. It allows for commissioners and coordinators from across the RPT strands and the three nations to share key information and updates on funding, commissioning and coordinating work, and allows members to identify areas of cross-collaboration and account for emerging issues. Members provide strategic, delivery and high-level financial updates to the Group, which the Secretariat reports to the Gambling Levy Programme Board to support the Board in its role of overseeing the levy system and providing a recommendation to DCMS and HMT ministers for the distribution of levy funding into the research, prevention and treatment strands.

The role of the group is to:

• facilitate appropriate communication, integration and collaboration between (i) commissioning and coordinating leads across England, Scotland and Wales
• provide a forum for commissioners and coordinators to share key progress and delivery updates on workstreams, and share informal advice for commissioning and coordinating bodies on strategic and funding priorities
• raise issues in the gambling sector, such as those emerging from new evidence, including from broader areas and the health sector

2. Delivery Group membership and composition

2.1 Membership

The Delivery Group is chaired by DCMS, as the responsible department for the implementation of the statutory gambling levy.

Membership of the Delivery Group includes representatives from DCMS, the Gambling Commission and the three research, prevention and treatment commissioners, as well as appropriate bodies in Scotland and Wales. Lead commissioners and devolved governments are responsible for deciding how to receive expert advice on spending and commissioning work and how to incorporate clinical and service user perspectives and, as such, will establish their own advisory mechanisms for their respective RPT strand. Further detail on each organisation’s role within the levy system can be found in Annex A.

Members of the Delivery Group have been appointed due to their role within the levy system, rather than in their personal capacity. When a member leaves their role, they will cease to be a member of the Delivery Group and their successor will be appointed in their place. Membership of the Delivery Group does also not include representatives from the gambling industry and is limited to representatives from bodies that are responsible for spending and commissioning decisions, including appropriate bodies supporting commissioners. DCMS will continue to monitor and revise membership if necessary.

The Delivery Group consists of the following members:

Title	Organisation	Role	Term
Head of Gambling Policy	DCMS	Chair	Permanent
Head of Consumer Protection	DCMS	Deputy Chair	Permanent
Director of Research and Statistics	Gambling Commission	Member	Permanent
Head of Research	Gambling Commission	Member	Permanent
Director of Research, Strategy and Innovation (AHRC)	UKRI	Member	Permanent
Associate Director – Research Programme on Gambling (AHRC)	UKRI	Member	Permanent
Head of Alcohol and Gambling	OHID	Member	Permanent
Head of Physical Activity and Gambling Levy	OHID	Member	Permanent
Clinical Advisor	NHS England	Member	Permanent
Deputy Director for Mental Health	NHS England	Member	Permanent
Gambling Programme Lead	NHS England	Member	Permanent
Head of Tobacco, Gambling, Diet and Healthy Weight Unit	Scottish Government	Member	Permanent
Consultant in Public Health	Public Health Scotland	Member	Permanent
Health Improvement Specialist	Welsh Government	Member	Permanent
Head of Risk Behaviours	Welsh Government	Member	Permanent
Consultant in Public Health	Public Health Wales	Member	Permanent
National Director for Mental Health, Learning Disability and Neurodiversity	NHS Wales Performance and Improvement	Member	Permanent
National Programme Lead, Mental Health	NHS Wales Performance and Improvement	Member	Permanent

2.2 Roles and responsibilities

The roles and responsibilities of all Delivery Group members are as follows:

• Actively contribute to the Delivery Group on a quarterly basis.
• Provide reporting on their organisation’s work, as set out in the Memorandums of Understanding signed with DCMS.
• Sight other members on significant announcements and developments.
• Raise any risks for the Secretariat to input into the central risk register or escalate to the Levy Board.
• Provide informal advice to the group on spending and commissioning decisions.
• Provide advice, where necessary, to the Levy Board.
• Identify opportunities and take actions for collaboration across research, prevention and treatment.
• Contributing to each item regardless of area of expertise.
• Nominating deputies and notifying the Chair and Secretariat when (in exceptional circumstances) attendance is not possible; to ensure that there is at least one representative from their organisation in attendance.

The expectation is that members prioritise attendance at Delivery Group meetings each quarter. However, deputies can be nominated, subject to notifying the Chair and DCMS Secretariat when (in exceptional circumstances) attendance is not possible.

Members of the Delivery Group have also been asked to complete a declaration of interest form which will be registered in a central register by the Secretariat. Any members with conflicts of interest for specific agenda items will recuse themselves from the discussion.

2.3 Deputies

Members are expected to prioritise attendance at Delivery Group meetings above all other commitments to ensure that there is representation from each relevant organisation.

In exceptional circumstances, a deputy may attend in a Delivery Group member’s place provided that the Secretariat has been notified and it has been agreed with the DCMS Chair.

2.4 Additional attendees

Where appropriate, the Chair may invite subject experts to attend on an ad hoc basis.

The Secretariat attends each meeting to help facilitate the meeting and to maintain an accurate record of the conversation.

2.5 Quoracy

As a general rule, the Delivery Group is considered quorate when at least one representative from each organisation is present. However, the Chair can take the decision to cancel a meeting if they are not content with attendee numbers, or can elect to proceed even if the Delivery Group is not quorate.

Nominated deputies count towards quoracy of the Delivery Group, provided they have been agreed with the Chair as a suitable deputy.

2.6 Review of membership

Membership of the Delivery Group may be subject to change as the levy system develops. Any changes to the membership of the Delivery Group must be discussed with existing members and approved by the Chair.

3. Meetings structure

3.1 Frequency and format

Members are expected to meet once a quarter, with meetings lasting up to 2 hours. Meetings take place online using Microsoft teams. As a general rule, Delivery Group meetings take place at least one month prior to Levy Board meeting, to ensure there is sufficient time for papers and other relevant items from the Delivery Group to be escalated if necessary.

3.2 Agenda

The Secretariat develops the meeting agendas in consultation with attendees and with agreement from the Chair. Members can expect the Secretariat to share the agenda with them in good time prior to meetings. Agenda items are likely to include:

• Updates on spending and commissioning activity from commissioning leads.
• Updates on advice received from commissioning leads’ own advisory mechanisms.
• Coordinating approaches across research, prevention and treatment.
• Raising any emerging issues and risks.
• Discussion of in-depth topics from time to time, with experts in subject matters invited as appropriate by the Chair.

3.3 Papers

The Secretariat aims to send papers to members at least five working days ahead of meetings. Members can be expected to be given reasonable time to provide reporting or additional information to the Secretariat. Supporting papers will include:

i. Reporting slides

ii. Actions log

iii. Minutes from the previous Delivery Group meeting

iv. Any additional papers where necessary

3.4 Minutes

The Secretariat takes minutes of the meeting and circulates them to attendees within 10 working days. They are also shared for formal sign-off at the following Board meeting.

4. Review of the Terms of Reference

The terms of reference were agreed during the first meeting. Thereafter, the terms of reference can be reviewed as and when required.

Annex A: Delivery Group member organisations and roles

Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS)

• DCMS is the lead department on gambling policy and is the responsible department for the implementation of the statutory gambling levy.
• DCMS, alongside the Levy Board, has responsibility for the overall oversight of the levy system.

Gambling Commission

• The Gambling Commission is provided with a portion of the levy funding allocated to research to direct further research in line with its licensing objectives and taking account of its current Evidence Gaps and Priorities.
• The Commission is expected to sit on the Delivery Group in its capacity as a commissioner for research projects using levy funding, with acknowledgement of its role as collector of levy funds from operators.

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)

• UKRI oversees the research strand of the levy which delivers a bespoke Research Programme on Gambling, alongside the Gambling Commission separately commissioning further research.
• UKRI has responsibility for spending decisions for the levy funding allocated to UKRI for research, and works with the Gambling Commission to avoid duplication of work within the research strand.

Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID)

• OHID oversees the prevention strand of the levy, alongside appropriate bodies in Scotland and Wales, and commission prevention services.
• OHID has responsibility for spending decisions for levy funding allocated for prevention in England.
• Representatives from OHID sit on the Delivery Group in their capacity as prevention commissioners, with acknowledgment that the Department of Health and Social Care, of which OHID is a part of, also sits on the Levy Board and has an active role in the decision making on the allocation of levy funding.

National Health Service England (NHSE)

• NHSE oversees the treatment strand of the levy, alongside appropriate bodies in Scotland and Wales, and commission treatment and support services.
• NHSE has responsibility for spending decisions for the levy funding allocated for treatment in England.

Scottish Government

• The Scottish Government has responsibility for spending decisions for the prevention and treatment funding allocated to Scotland, supported by Public Health Scotland.
• Representatives from the Scottish Government sit on the Delivery Group in this capacity, with acknowledgement that the Scottish Government also sits on the Levy Board and has an active role in overseeing the levy system and the decision making on the allocation of levy funding.

Public Health Scotland

• Public Health Scotland supports the Scottish Government with spending decisions for the prevention and treatment funding allocated to Scotland.

Welsh Government

• The Welsh Government has responsibility for spending decisions for the prevention and treatment funding allocated to Wales.
• Representatives from the Welsh Government sit on the Delivery Group in this capacity, with acknowledgement that the Welsh Government also sits on the Levy Board and has an active role in overseeing the levy system and the decision making on the allocation of levy funding.

Public Health Wales (PHW)

• Public Health Wales acts as the coordinator for prevention activity in Wales.

NHS Wales Performance and Improvement

• NHS Wales Performance and Improvement acts as the coordinator for treatment activity in Wales.