As part of a community order, the proposal states that courts could require offenders to seek treatment for gambling addiction through an National Health Service specialist service, which is a potential shift toward recognizing gambling disorder as a mental health issue within the criminal justice system.

The submission made by members of parliament led to the discussion around sentencing reform in general, with the topic of gambling and the NHS, or a professional clinic, mentioned to support those with an agreed condition.

UK Parliament discusses gambling addiction reform

The topic “gambling treatment requirement” was centered upon in relation to an order that has been decided through a judicial process. An individual who receives a community order through this process would, as part of the proposed amendments, need to seek clinical support.

“This new clause would introduce a new gambling treatment requirement, requiring an offender to seek NHS gambling addiction treatment as part of a community order,” read the official submission as part of Section 26.

The submission, which was discussed but not approved, put an onus on the UK government to find solutions to support those who would be termed as having a gambling addiction.

There would be pressure on the “Government to report to Parliament on how it will improve support for offenders with gambling addictions and ensure that gambling disorder is recognised as a mental health condition by sentencing court.”

The debate also calls for the Secretary of State to publish a report within six months of the Act passing, explaining how courts will handle gambling disorder as a mental health issue. The report would need to cover access to clinical advice and treatment for offenders, both in prison and in the community. It could be an early move toward linking criminal behavior more directly with mental health and treatment.

MPs highlight gambling issues and treatment

Dr. Alison Gardner, Labor representative from Stoke on Trent, made mention of her own “flutter” with gambling, but then discussed the pitfalls of gambling addiction and its wider impact.

She said, “Problem gambling is associated with not only acquisitive crimes, but street violence, domestic abuse and neglect. That, of course, leads to many harms for the person themselves, their families and the victims of their crimes.”

Assistant Whip and Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice, Jake Richards, acknowledged Dr. Gardner’s proposals on gambling treatment but disagreed that they should be mandatory, citing pressures on current government systems.

“As I have discussed with her (D. Gardner), there is the issue of the scale of demand and the current lack of any reliable data on how this would look in the criminal justice system.”

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President Trump took an unexpected swipe on Thursday at the big banks that have cheered his return to office, as he raised longstanding Republican complaints that they are discriminated against by major lenders.

The moment came almost as an aside, as Mr. Trump was participating virtually in a question-and-answer session with executives gathered at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

His questioner, Brian T. Moynihan, Bank of America’s chief executive, asked a rote, prepared question about the new administration’s plans for the economy.

Mr. Trump capped off a nearly two-minute response by observing:

“By the way, speaking of you — and you’ve done a fantastic job — but I hope you start opening your bank to conservatives, because many conservatives complain that the banks are not allowing them to do business within the bank, and that included a place called Bank of America,” Mr. Trump said.

He continued, referring to JPMorgan chief executive Jamie Dimon (who was not on the stage), “You and Jamie and everybody, I hope you’re going to open your banks to conservatives, because what you’re doing is wrong.”

Mr. Moynihan responded with what appeared to be a nervous laugh, and by changing the subject to next year’s World Cup.

A Bank of America spokesman, Bill Halldin, later said in a statement that the lender never closed accounts for political reasons, but was “required to follow extensive government rules and regulations that sometimes result in decisions to exit client relationships.”

Mr. Trump’s swerve to the subject was a surprise in the moment, not the least because bankers have been ebullient about his second term, which they hope will touch off an era of profit-making encouraged by relaxed regulations. Yet the topic of political discrimination is a well-trodden one that Mr. Trump occasionally brought up during his campaign.

For years, conservatives have complained about diversity, equity and inclusion programs at big lenders about the curtailing of investments in fossil fuels and energy; and have accused banks of closing accounts, or debanking, of religious groups.

Those concerns have been echoed by cryptocurrency backers and prominent venture capitalists who now make up a major bloc of support for Mr. Trump. They were also the subject of a letter last year from Republican attorneys general to Bank of America that said the lender was “responsible for some of the worst-known instances of debanking.” Bank of America replied with a letter denying the accusations.

In response to complaints of debanking, banking groups generally respond by blaming regulations that require them to flag and automatically close accounts that show suspicious activities associated with money laundering. They point out that complaints about such closures come from customers large and small across the political spectrum.

A JPMorgan spokeswoman, Patricia Wexler, said that the onus lay with “regulatory ambiguity.”

“We follow the law and guidance from our regulators and have long said there are problems with the current framework that Washington must address,” she said in a statement.

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