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The government's long-awaited white paper on gambling is set to be published later this morning after being delayed a number of times. It will set out the policies that ministers plan to implement to crack down on what the culture secretary describes as a "digital wonderland" of online betting that disproportionately impacts poorer communities. In a tweet this morning, Lucy Frazer wrote: "From football accumulators to the Grand National, the odd flutter is something millions enjoy.

"But advances in tech means we all now have a casino in our pockets. "Today I'll be updating gambling laws for the smartphone age to better protect people from gambling related harm." According to The Times, the government is set to propose the following measures:

  • A levy on gambling firms, potentially to fund addiction treatment;
  • Maximum stakes for online slot machines of GBP2 for those aged under 25 and GBP15 for those older;
  • A "financial vulnerability check" for those who lose more than GBP125 a day;
  • A more extensive "affordability check" for those who lose more than GBP1,000 in a day and/or GBP2,000 over 90 days.

Some of these will go to consultations - a move that has been sharply criticised.

Former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith labelled consultations a "cop-out" and said the government would open itself up to accusations of having "caved in" to industry lobbying. Lord Foster of Bath, chairman of the Peers for Gambling Reform group, said that although he welcomes the reforms, he is "shocked" that some measures are going to further consultation. There has also been criticism that some proposed measures have been watered down or dropped, including a plan for GBP5 limits on online slot machines and a ban on VIP schemes offering hospitality and bonuses to people who build up significant losses.

We are expecting the white paper to be published in full later this morning, and there will be a ministerial statement at around 10.30am.

We'll bring you all the details as soon as we have them.

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