Asked by: Lord Watson of Wyre Forest (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the money to be accrued to the public purse in tax from the profits made by gambling companies from fixed odds betting terminals between April 2019 and October 2019.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
As the Chancellor set out to the Treasury Select Committee on 5 November, changes to Fixed Odds Betting Terminals and Remote Gaming Duty will be implemented simultaneously. This ensures that regardless of when changes to Fixed Odds Betting Terminals and Remote Gaming Duty are implemented, there will be no significant change to the exchequer impact.
Asked by: Paul Sweeney (Labour (Co-op) - Glasgow North East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether he has undertaken an impact assessment of his Department's decision to delay the implementation of a maximum stake on fixed odds betting terminals from April 2019 to October 2019.
Answered by Jeremy Wright
The Chancellor announced at Budget that the new stake limits for sub-category B2 gaming machines will come into effect when Remote Gaming Duty is increased in October 2019. There is no delay as no date had previously been set. Government considered a range of factors in determining the implementation date of the stake reduction to B2 machines, including harm from problem gambling, impact on the high street and the economic wellbeing of those who work in betting shops. It remains completely committed to taking action to protect the most vulnerable in society from the harm that these gaming machines can cause and we have been clear we expect this to be a priority for the gambling industry.Asked by: Paul Sweeney (Labour (Co-op) - Glasgow North East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the additional tax revenue that will accrue to the public purse from fixed odds betting terminals as a result of the delay in the introduction of the maximum stake from April 2019 to October 2019.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
There is no delay as this is the first time the government has announced the date for the introduction of the £2 maximum stake on Fixed Odds Betting Terminals.
The government made clear in May that the timing of implementation does not make any difference to the public finances as Remote Gaming Duty will be increased at the same time to offset the foregone revenue.
Asked by: Alison Thewliss (Scottish National Party - Glasgow Central)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the proposed time frame is to reduce the maximum stake on fixed odds betting terminals to £2.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
As announced at Budget the maximum stake on fixed odds betting terminals will be reduced to £2 from 1 October 2019.
The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport intend to lay the draft regulations before Parliament, for the usual process of approval, in due course.
Asked by: Peter Bottomley (Conservative - Worthing West)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much money that is lost by gamblers on fixed odds betting terminals is retained by (a) betting firms and (b) HM Government in each month in the last three years.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
HM Revenue & Customs publishes a breakdown of revenue for Machine Games Duty here: https://www.uktradeinfo.com/Statistics/Pages/TaxAndDutybulletins.aspx
A separate breakdown for revenue from different machine types is not available. HMRC cannot make any assessment of the amount retained by betting firms.
Asked by: Danielle Rowley (Labour - Midlothian)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what the timetable is for the reduction in the maximum bet on fixed odds betting terminals.
Answered by Tracey Crouch
The change to stakes will be delivered through secondary legislation.
We intend to lay the draft affirmative regulations before Parliament, for the usual process of approval, in the Autumn term.
A date for implementation of the change will be announced in due course.
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, when he plans to implement the reduced maximum stake on fixed-odds betting terminals to two pounds.
Answered by Tracey Crouch
The draft Statutory Instrument needed to reduce the maximum stake on sub-category B2 machines to £2 was notified to the European Commission in September, under the requirements of the EU Technical Standards and Regulations Directive. We intend to lay the draft affirmative regulations before Parliament, for the usual process of approval, in the Autumn term.
A date for implementation of the change will be announced in due course.
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, when the secondary legislation to reduce the maximum stake on fixed-odds betting terminals to two pounds will be laid before Parliament.
Answered by Tracey Crouch
The draft Statutory Instrument needed to reduce the maximum stake on sub-category B2 machines to £2 was notified to the European Commission in September, under the requirements of the EU Technical Standards and Regulations Directive. We intend to lay the draft affirmative regulations before Parliament, for the usual process of approval, in the Autumn term.
A date for implementation of the change will be announced in due course.
Asked by: Carolyn Harris (Labour - Swansea East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made an assessment of the effect on (a) the public purse and (b) bookmakers of implementing the reduced maximum stake on fixed-odds betting terminals to two pounds in (i) April 2019, (ii) April 2020 and (iii) at any other times; and if he will publish any such assessments.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
Estimates of the effect on gambling duties approved by the Office for Budget Responsibility are not available.
DCMS have met with industry to understand the technological requirements along with the potential impact on employment.
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, whether he has made an assessment of the effect on the number of (a) people employed by and (b) jobs created in the gambling industry of implementing the reduced maximum stake on fixed-odds betting terminals to two pounds.
Answered by Tracey Crouch
The Government received over 7,000 responses to the Consultation on proposals for changes to Gaming Machines and social responsibility measures, and, as part of the evidence received, considered representations from the Association of British Bookmakers, individual operators and others that discussed the potential impact on employment in Licensed Betting Offices.
Since publication of the consultation response in May, the Government has engaged with the Association of British Bookmakers, bookmakers, and machine manufacturers to further discuss the potential impact of the stake reduction.
The Government has made no assessment of the number of jobs created in the gambling industry by reducing the B2 maximum stake.