Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will have discussions with banks on (a) limits on spending for gambling addicts and (b) issuing loans to gambling addicts.
Answered by Bim Afolami - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government recognises the important role banks and other financial services can play in supporting efforts to tackle gambling related harm.
Around 90% of retail bank accounts and an increasing number of payment providers now offer opt-in gambling blocks, which can be used to manage customers’ gambling spend. The Government welcomes industry-led improvements to these tools. For example, we are aware some providers have made the gambling management tools more customisable, allowing customers to set gambling spending limits or block all transactions entirely.
Regarding loans to people with gambling addictions, protecting vulnerable consumers is a key priority for the Government and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), which regulates the consumer credit market. Under FCA rules, firms undertaking creditworthiness assessments must assess whether a customer will repay, but also the customer’s ability to repay affordably and without significantly affecting their wider financial situation.
Officials meet regularly with the FCA and banks to discuss these issues.
In April 2020, the Gambling Commission also introduced a ban on using credit cards to gamble to help minimise the risk of harm to consumers from gambling with money they do not have.
Asked by: Kevin Brennan (Labour - Cardiff West)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions he has had with (a) the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, (b) the Gambling Commission and (c) the Financial Conduct Authority on the regulation of crypto-based products and services.
Answered by Richard Fuller
Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery.
The Cryptoasset Taskforce, comprising HM Treasury, the Bank of England, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), and the Payment Systems Regulator (PSR), continues to monitor ongoing development in cryptoasset markets, and is taking forward a range of regulatory measures to mitigate market integrity risks, protect consumers and support innovation in the cryptoasset market.
Since January 2020, cryptoasset firms operating in the UK have been subject to the Money Laundering Regulations. To protect consumers, on 18 January 2022, the government set out its intention to legislate later this year to bring certain cryptoassets into financial promotion regulation. This would ensure that relevant cryptoasset promotions are held to the same high standards for fairness, clarity and accuracy that exist in the financial services industry. Additionally, on the 20 July, the government introduced the Financial Services and Markets Bill, which includes a measure allowing HM Treasury to bring stablecoins, where used as a means of payment, within the UK regulatory perimeter.
The government has committed to consult later this year on the broader regulation of cryptoassets.
Asked by: Carolyn Harris (Labour - Swansea East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will review the Payment Services Directive to ensure that it helps prevent gambling harm.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The Government recognises the important role banks and other financial services can play in supporting efforts to tackle gambling related harm. On gambling blocks, I am pleased that many banks have acted to offer their customers the option to block debit card transactions to licensed gambling operators, which is estimated to now be available for approximately 90% of UK current accounts.
The Government welcomes this progress and continues to work together with industry to identify what more can be done in this area. As such, I will shortly co-convene a roundtable with the Minister for Technology and the Digital Economy to look at opportunities for additional progress which further support UK consumers.
The Government is reviewing the Gambling Act 2005 to make sure it is fit for the digital age. This is taking a close look at the effectiveness of existing protections for gamblers in preventing harm and how these could be improved. The Department for Digital, Culture Media and Sport is considering the evidence carefully and aim to publish a white paper outlining any conclusions and proposals for reform in due course.
Asked by: Carolyn Harris (Labour - Swansea East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will require gambling firms to disclose their bank account details on a central registry to empower banks to extend gambling blocks to bank transfers made to gambling companies.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The Government recognises the important role banks and other financial services can play in supporting efforts to tackle gambling related harm. On gambling blocks, I am pleased that many banks have acted to offer their customers the option to block debit card transactions to licensed gambling operators, which is estimated to now be available for approximately 90% of UK current accounts.
The Government welcomes this progress and continues to work together with industry to identify what more can be done in this area. As such, I will shortly co-convene a roundtable with the Minister for Technology and the Digital Economy to look at opportunities for additional progress which further support UK consumers.
The Government is reviewing the Gambling Act 2005 to make sure it is fit for the digital age. This is taking a close look at the effectiveness of existing protections for gamblers in preventing harm and how these could be improved. The Department for Digital, Culture Media and Sport is considering the evidence carefully and aim to publish a white paper outlining any conclusions and proposals for reform 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 potential effect of new bank transfer based payment methods offered by gambling providers on the efficacy of gambling transaction blocks as a tool to support people struggling with gambling harms.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The Government has made no such assessment in relation to the effect of new bank transfer based payment methods. However, licensed gambling operators are only permitted to use payment methods where they are able to ensure they are compliant with all Gambling Commission licence conditions and requirements, including anti-money laundering and safer gambling measures.
The Government also recognises that the financial services industry plays an important role in helping their customers monitor and manage their gambling spending, including by offering gambling transaction blocks. In recent years there has been considerable voluntary progress in this area by the industry, with almost all the largest UK banks, as well as the larger digital banks, now offering gambling transaction blocks for debit and credit card transactions.
The Government welcomes this progress and continues to work together with industry to identify what more can be done in this area. As such, I will soon be hosting a roundtable with the financial sector to discuss what action has taken place to date on this issue and look at opportunities for additional progress which further support UK consumers. This will include looking at wider payment methods.
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 potential merits of proposals to mandate the provision of spending blocks for gambling activity for current accounts.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The Government recognises the potential merits in mandating the provision of spending blocks which allow gamblers to self-exclude themselves from making payments to gambling operators.
However, in recent years there has been considerable voluntary progress in this area by the industry. Almost all of the largest UK banks, as well as the larger digital banks, now have voluntary gambling block features on their debit cards. This gives consumers a considerable market choice in this area to choose a current account that has the right features for them.
The Government acknowledges that despite the enormous amount that has been achieved by the industry on a voluntary basis, it can go even further. That is why the Government will shortly write to industry to organise a new Ministerial roundtable with the sector to discuss what action has taken place to date and look for opportunities to further support UK consumers.
Asked by: Carolyn Harris (Labour - Swansea East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions (a) he and (b) officials of his Department have had with (i) the banking sector and (ii) financial regulators on bank-based gambling blocks.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
Government ministers and officials regularly engage with the financial services regulators and financial services industry on a number of issues.
The Government recognises the value in voluntary gambling blocks to allow gamblers to self-exclude themselves from making payments to gambling operators. In February 2019, the then DCMS Secretary of State held a roundtable with UK banks, during which the Government set out the merits of gambling blocks.
Since then, there has been considerable progress in this area. Since April 2020, licensed gambling operators in the UK have been prohibited from accepting credit card payments and such payments have been blocked by the largest UK banks. For debit cards, almost all of the largest UK banks, as well as the larger digital banks, now have voluntary gambling block features on their debit cards. This means that consumers have considerable market choice in this area and can choose a current account that has the right features for them.
Asked by: Lord Watson of Wyre Forest (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether he plans to make an assessment of the effect of the Christmas period on rates of (a) under-age gambling and (b) problem gambling; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Jeremy Wright
The most reliable source of problem gambling rates is data collected from the Health Surveys for England and Scotland, and the Problem Gambling Survey Wales. This is collected annually, and we therefore do not hold data on the effect of Christmas on under-age or problem gambling.
The most recent report estimated the number of adult problem gamblers in Great Britain as approximately 340,000, 0.7% of the adult population. Headline rates of problem gambling has remained relatively stable at under 1% for many years.
GambleAware, an independent charity, commissions treatment services, including the GamCare National Gambling Helpline and counselling services and specialist treatment delivered by the NHS National Problem Gambling Clinic and the Gordon Moody Association.
The National Gambling Helpline and Netline are open all year round from 8 am to midnight, including all bank holidays. GamCare reports that numbers of calls and contacts are generally low during the festive period, with an increase in the first two weeks of January, in line with experience in other types of support services.
The Review of Gambling Machines and Social Responsibility Measures, published in May, set out measures to prevent and reduce harm from gambling, including strengthening existing protections across gaming machines, online gambling and gambling advertising. It also set out initiatives to improve for treatment and support for those who experience harm, including expanding access to existing services, strengthening the voluntary system for funding and building evidence of what treatment is most effective.
Asked by: Lord Watson of Wyre Forest (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what additional counselling support is available for people with gambling-related problems during the Christmas period.
Answered by Jeremy Wright
The most reliable source of problem gambling rates is data collected from the Health Surveys for England and Scotland, and the Problem Gambling Survey Wales. This is collected annually, and we therefore do not hold data on the effect of Christmas on under-age or problem gambling.
The most recent report estimated the number of adult problem gamblers in Great Britain as approximately 340,000, 0.7% of the adult population. Headline rates of problem gambling has remained relatively stable at under 1% for many years.
GambleAware, an independent charity, commissions treatment services, including the GamCare National Gambling Helpline and counselling services and specialist treatment delivered by the NHS National Problem Gambling Clinic and the Gordon Moody Association.
The National Gambling Helpline and Netline are open all year round from 8 am to midnight, including all bank holidays. GamCare reports that numbers of calls and contacts are generally low during the festive period, with an increase in the first two weeks of January, in line with experience in other types of support services.
The Review of Gambling Machines and Social Responsibility Measures, published in May, set out measures to prevent and reduce harm from gambling, including strengthening existing protections across gaming machines, online gambling and gambling advertising. It also set out initiatives to improve for treatment and support for those who experience harm, including expanding access to existing services, strengthening the voluntary system for funding and building evidence of what treatment is most effective.