Asked by: Carolyn Harris (Labour - Swansea East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions he has had with (a) the Gambling Commission, and (b) gaming operators on the development of Esports Betting.
Answered by John Whittingdale
We continue to work with the video games industry, other government departments, and relevant regulatory bodies to ensure games are enjoyed safely. We launched a call for evidence in September to understand players’ experiences with loot boxes and to examine evidence of potential harms. This received over 30,000 responses and we have been working to evaluate fully the evidence gathered. The response will be published in the coming months and will set out preferred actions and potential solutions to any issues identified from the evidence.
The government regularly engages with the Gambling Commission and other bodies to discuss emerging trends, including esports betting. Esports betting is regulated with the same protections as any other sports, and operators must abide by the same regulation and license conditions.
Data from the Gambling Commission’s quarterly surveys shows that in the year to December 2020 9% of adults reported they had ever bet on esports with money or items. Further details can be found at: https://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/statistics-and-research/publication/taking-a-more-in-depth-look-at-online-gambling#ref-4 The government does not collect statistics on the player base of people opening loot boxes, playing social casino games or accessing twitch gaming streams.
Asked by: Carolyn Harris (Labour - Swansea East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of a Gambling Ombudsman with statutory footing on incidence of gambling-related death.
Answered by John Whittingdale
The government launched its Review of the Gambling Act 2005 on 8 December with the publication of a wide-ranging Call for Evidence. The Review will look at the effectiveness of the regulatory framework and whether further protections are needed. As part of its broad scope, it will also look at evidence on the case for changes to consumer redress arrangements, including assessing options such as an ombudsman. We intend to outline our conclusions and next steps in a white paper by the end of the year.
Details of ministerial meetings are publicly available and can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/search/transparency-and-freedom-of-information-releases?content_store_document_type=transparency&organisations%5B%5D=department-for-digital-culture-media-sport
Asked by: Carolyn Harris (Labour - Swansea East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if he will establish a Gambling Ombudsman.
Answered by John Whittingdale
The government launched its Review of the Gambling Act 2005 on 8 December with the publication of a wide-ranging Call for Evidence. The Review will look at the effectiveness of the regulatory framework and whether further protections are needed. As part of its broad scope, it will also look at evidence on the case for changes to consumer redress arrangements, including assessing options such as an ombudsman. We intend to outline our conclusions and next steps in a white paper by the end of the year.
Details of ministerial meetings are publicly available and can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/search/transparency-and-freedom-of-information-releases?content_store_document_type=transparency&organisations%5B%5D=department-for-digital-culture-media-sport
Asked by: Carolyn Harris (Labour - Swansea East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions he has had and with whom on the potential merits of establishing a Gambling Ombudsman.
Answered by John Whittingdale
The government launched its Review of the Gambling Act 2005 on 8 December with the publication of a wide-ranging Call for Evidence. The Review will look at the effectiveness of the regulatory framework and whether further protections are needed. As part of its broad scope, it will also look at evidence on the case for changes to consumer redress arrangements, including assessing options such as an ombudsman. We intend to outline our conclusions and next steps in a white paper by the end of the year.
Details of ministerial meetings are publicly available and can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/search/transparency-and-freedom-of-information-releases?content_store_document_type=transparency&organisations%5B%5D=department-for-digital-culture-media-sport
Asked by: Carolyn Harris (Labour - Swansea East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of establishing a Gambling Ombudsman.
Answered by John Whittingdale
The government launched its Review of the Gambling Act 2005 on 8 December with the publication of a wide-ranging Call for Evidence. The Review will look at the effectiveness of the regulatory framework and whether further protections are needed. As part of its broad scope, it will also look at evidence on the case for changes to consumer redress arrangements, including assessing options such as an ombudsman. We intend to outline our conclusions and next steps in a white paper by the end of the year.
Details of ministerial meetings are publicly available and can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/search/transparency-and-freedom-of-information-releases?content_store_document_type=transparency&organisations%5B%5D=department-for-digital-culture-media-sport
Asked by: Carolyn Harris (Labour - Swansea East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions he has had with his Northern Irish counterpart on the operation of Fixed Odds Betting Terminals (FOBTs) in Northern Ireland following the reduction in the maximum stake on FOBTs in Great Britain to £2 in 2019.
Answered by John Whittingdale
Gambling in Northern Ireland is a devolved issue regulated under the Betting, Gaming, Lotteries and Amusements (NI) Order 1985. I have not discussed the operation of Fixed Odds Betting Terminals following the 2019 stake cut with my Northern Irish counterpart.
Asked by: Carolyn Harris (Labour - Swansea East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of strengthening measures to protect lottery players from harm as part of the Fourth National Lottery licence.
Answered by John Whittingdale
The Government and the Gambling Commission share statutory duties to ensure that the National Lottery is run with all due propriety and that the interests of players are protected.
The competition for the fourth National Lottery licence is being run by the Gambling Commission. The next licence will see changes to how the National Lottery is licensed and regulated. It has been designed by the Commission to enable the next licensee continually to develop and adapt its operations in a safe and responsible way, to meet the needs of players in 2023 and beyond.
The licensee will be held fully accountable for protecting players. Through the competition process, the successful applicant will have demonstrated high standards of player protection, including on prevention of underage or excessive play, and the Commission will hold them accountable for their commitments during the licence period. The Commission will retain strong enforcement powers and, where necessary, will not hesitate to use them.
Asked by: Carolyn Harris (Labour - Swansea East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what process his Department plans to put in place to ensure that lottery players are better protected as part of the Fourth National Lottery licence.
Answered by John Whittingdale
The Government and the Gambling Commission share statutory duties to ensure that the National Lottery is run with all due propriety and that the interests of players are protected.
The competition for the fourth National Lottery licence is being run by the Gambling Commission. The next licence will see changes to how the National Lottery is licensed and regulated. It has been designed by the Commission to enable the next licensee continually to develop and adapt its operations in a safe and responsible way, to meet the needs of players in 2023 and beyond.
The licensee will be held fully accountable for protecting players. Through the competition process, the successful applicant will have demonstrated high standards of player protection, including on prevention of underage or excessive play, and the Commission will hold them accountable for their commitments during the licence period. The Commission will retain strong enforcement powers and, where necessary, will not hesitate to use them.
Asked by: Carolyn Harris (Labour - Swansea East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what provisions his Department plans to put in place to protect lottery players from harm as part of the Fourth National Lottery licence.
Answered by John Whittingdale
The Government and the Gambling Commission share statutory duties to ensure that the National Lottery is run with all due propriety and that the interests of players are protected.
The competition for the fourth National Lottery licence is being run by the Gambling Commission. The next licence will see changes to how the National Lottery is licensed and regulated. It has been designed by the Commission to enable the next licensee continually to develop and adapt its operations in a safe and responsible way, to meet the needs of players in 2023 and beyond.
The licensee will be held fully accountable for protecting players. Through the competition process, the successful applicant will have demonstrated high standards of player protection, including on prevention of underage or excessive play, and the Commission will hold them accountable for their commitments during the licence period. The Commission will retain strong enforcement powers and, where necessary, will not hesitate to use them.
Asked by: Carolyn Harris (Labour - Swansea East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of strengthening measures against gambling operators holding licenses in the UK in relation to their conduct in foreign jurisdictions in order to help ensure the licensing aim of the Gambling Act 2005 to keep Great Britain gambling free from crime and criminal proceeds.
Answered by John Whittingdale
All gambling companies offering gambling facilities to consumers in Great Britain, wherever they are based, must be licensed by the Gambling Commission and comply with the conditions and codes of practice of their operating licences. Operators are expected to obey the laws of all other jurisdictions in which they operate, and must report any regulatory or criminal investigation into their activities in any jurisdiction to the Commission. Operators must also report the granting, withdrawal or refusal of any application for a licence in another jurisdiction. These requirements, along with the international cooperation the Commission enjoys with other gambling regulators, enable the Commission to make the necessary ongoing assessments of an operator’s suitability to hold a GB licence. It is for the responsible authorities in each jurisdiction to determine whether operators’ activities comply with the applicable rules.
Further information on what the Gambling Commission expects from its licensed operators regarding their operations in other jurisdictions can be found in the Gambling Commission’s Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice: