Would-be PM Matt Hancock vows to tax bookies to raise £100million every year to fight gambling addiction

MATT Hancock will vow to tax the nation’s bookies to raise at least £100 million a year to fight gambling addiction.

The Tory leadership outsider will target the ‘moderate’ vote by aping Labour and promising to slap a minimum 1 per cent compulsory tax on bookies profits.

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The levy will pay for an increase in research and treatment for gambling addiction - working with charities.

Mr Hancock – 100-1 to replace Theresa May - also wants to expand the network of specialist clinics to help people with serious gambling problems.

Labour’s deputy leader Tom Watson demanded the levy last year.

Mr Hancock, MP for the horse racing stronghold of Newmarket - told The Sun: “I’ve seen first-hand how gambling addiction blights lives and damages our society.

“The betting industry has not taken this issue seriously enough and has failed to take enough responsibility for addressing the harm gambling causes.

BRITAIN'S PROBLEM GAMBLERS

“Since voluntary contributions have not worked, I will use the powers government already has to make it happen.”

Ex-Sports Minister Tracey Crouch – one of those to endorse Mr Hancock - warned bookies last year they were in a “last chance saloon” because of their failure to pay a voluntary contribution to gambling charities.

Bookies have called for more transparency over where the money goes.

Academics claim there are 430,000 problem gamblers in Britain. The total cost of the problem to society is estimated to be as much as £1.6 billion in health costs, welfare, employment and criminal justice costs.

The move comes after Mr Hancock formally launched his campaign yesterday by pledging to increase the National Living Wage to over a tenner an hour. He also pledged to reduce taxes on working people “when we can afford it”.

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And 40 year-old declared he was “excited about the future” because “I love people”.

The launch today was attended by Robert Rinder, from the ITV show Judge Rinder.

Mr Hancock reiterated he would seek to deliver Brexit by establishing an Irish border council made up of UK and Irish officials to prevent the return of a hard border and time-limiting the so-called ‘backstop’.

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