iGaming Business – The opposition Labour political party in the UK is considering a proposal that would introduce a levy on all sports betting, with all revenue generated to be ploughed into grassroots sports and used to help tackle problem gambling.

The proposal has been set out in a new ‘sport for all’ document issued by shadow culture secretary Harriet Harman and shadow sports minister Clive Efford.

Under current regulations, only gambling on horseracing is subject to a levy with the money – around £82 million (€103.8 million/$19.8 million) in 2014 – returned to the racing industry.

“We are consulting on whether we should introduce a levy on betting, including online betting, to fund gambling awareness and support for problem gambling but also to improve community sports facilities and clubs,” Efford said, according to the Guardian newspaper.

“It’s my preference that the income from the levy went into a general pool to help grassroots sport and from which the respective sports would draw their future elite sportsmen and women.

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