In-game Purchases: Protections for Children

Earl of Effingham Excerpts

Thursday 15th January 2026 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Twycross (Lab)]

As the noble Baroness would expect, I regularly meet with the Gambling Commission and discuss its enforcement activity. I have also met with the Advertising Standards Authority, and, indeed, officials also meet with representatives of the ASA and the Gambling Commission on a range of matters. DCMS has previously raised concerns detailed by Members with the ASA, and I am happy to do so again. Although we are confident that the two regulators talk to each other, I will take steps to make sure that they are liaising very clearly and in detail on this particular point.

[The Earl of Effingham (Con)]

My Lords, the Gambling Commission report is clear: many children spend their money on gambling, and 31% of young people who saw gambling-related content on social media say influencers had advertised it. Whether it is loot boxes or social media, we now have a mountain of indisputable evidence. Children are addicted to smartphones, and gambling is a small part. Why are the Government not acting on the voices of parents and teachers across the country who are urgently asking for a formal smartphone ban in schools?

[Baroness Twycross (Lab)]

As the noble Earl will be aware, most schools—90% of secondary schools and 99.8% of primary schools—have a mobile phone policy limiting students’ use of mobile phones during school hours. We do not want to exclude children from services which are age appropriate. In relation to screen time, the Government are taking action, but it is important to recognise that screens are part of family life now. The question that parents are asking is not whether they should use them but how to use them well. The Government are going to issue their first guidance on screen use for under-fives in April. This will include tips on how it can be incorporated into activities such as talking, reading and playing safely.