Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the maximum value of (a) prizes and (b) stakes in arcades in line with inflation.

The Government intends to consult on changes to maximum stakes and prizes for Category D gaming machines, to understand if this would be an appropriate way to support the family entertainment centre sector while maintaining protections for children and young people. Category D machines include seaside arcade staples, such as crane grabs and coin pushers. The consultation will seek evidence and feedback from a range of stakeholders on maximum stakes and prizes for these machines. We intend to launch the consultation this year.

The Government does not have plans to review stakes and prizes for other categories of gaming machines at this time.