The Methodist Church has welcomed a report out on Monday from the Gambling Commission pressing the gambling industry to finance the support of people at risk from gambling.

The Gambling Commission has threatened to impose a statutory levy on gambling operators from April 2009 unless they come up with a system to make voluntary payments to the Responsibility in Gambling Trust, which supports problem gamblers.

Gambling operators are supposed to make contributions to the RIGT under the 2005 Gambling Act, but high street bookmakers found themselves having to make up a funding deficit earlier in the year when it emerged that many smaller operators had ducked making the contributions.

David Bradwell, Policy Adviser for the Methodist Church in Britain said, "There are around a quarter of a million problem gamblers in the UK. We need more money to make sure that these people receive sufficient support and advice and that vulnerable people don't develop a problem with gambling.

"We support the 'polluter pays' principle. If not enough money is raised through the current voluntary system, we want to see the Government introducing compulsory payments by gambling businesses."

Mr Bradwell urged policy makers to look at the examples set by other countries with tighter controls on the gambling industry, including Canada, South Africa and New Zealand.