Asked by: Stephanie Peacock (Labour - Barnsley East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when she plans to launch a consultation on changing the 80/20 machine rule for Category B and C/D machines in bingo and arcade venues to 50/50.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport published its consultation, Measures relating to the land-based gambling sector, on July 26 2023.
The specific measures consulted on included the introduction of an age limit on ‘cash-out’ category D slot-style gaming machines, gaming machine allowances in casinos, the ratio of Category B to Category C/D gaming machines in arcades and bingo halls, and a review of licensing authority fees. The consultation closed on 4 October 2023 and we will publish the government’s response in due course.
The white paper also proposed to introduce cumulative impact assessments to align the gambling and alcohol licensing systems. This measure is not currently being consulted on. However, we plan to introduce it when parliamentary time allows.
Asked by: Stephanie Peacock (Labour - Barnsley East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when she plans to launch a consultation on outstanding issues on making the rules on machines more consistent in the casino sector.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport published its consultation, Measures relating to the land-based gambling sector, on July 26 2023.
The specific measures consulted on included the introduction of an age limit on ‘cash-out’ category D slot-style gaming machines, gaming machine allowances in casinos, the ratio of Category B to Category C/D gaming machines in arcades and bingo halls, and a review of licensing authority fees. The consultation closed on 4 October 2023 and we will publish the government’s response in due course.
The white paper also proposed to introduce cumulative impact assessments to align the gambling and alcohol licensing systems. This measure is not currently being consulted on. However, we plan to introduce it when parliamentary time allows.
Asked by: Stephanie Peacock (Labour - Barnsley East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when she plans to launch a consultation on secondary legislation on cash pay out machines.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport published its consultation, Measures relating to the land-based gambling sector, on July 26 2023.
The specific measures consulted on included the introduction of an age limit on ‘cash-out’ category D slot-style gaming machines, gaming machine allowances in casinos, the ratio of Category B to Category C/D gaming machines in arcades and bingo halls, and a review of licensing authority fees. The consultation closed on 4 October 2023 and we will publish the government’s response in due course.
The white paper also proposed to introduce cumulative impact assessments to align the gambling and alcohol licensing systems. This measure is not currently being consulted on. However, we plan to introduce it when parliamentary time allows.
Asked by: Stephanie Peacock (Labour - Barnsley East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when she plans to launch the consultation on reviewing the premises licence fees cap for local authorities and aligning the gambling and alcohol licensing systems.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport published its consultation, Measures relating to the land-based gambling sector, on July 26 2023.
The specific measures consulted on included the introduction of an age limit on ‘cash-out’ category D slot-style gaming machines, gaming machine allowances in casinos, the ratio of Category B to Category C/D gaming machines in arcades and bingo halls, and a review of licensing authority fees. The consultation closed on 4 October 2023 and we will publish the government’s response in due course.
The white paper also proposed to introduce cumulative impact assessments to align the gambling and alcohol licensing systems. This measure is not currently being consulted on. However, we plan to introduce it when parliamentary time allows.
Asked by: Andrew Bridgen (Independent - North West Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department has had discussions with the (a) British Horseracing Authority and (b) Gambling Commission on the impact of (i) affordability checks and (ii) personal data requirements on the horse racing levy.
Answered by Paul Scully
In preparing the gambling white paper, the government is giving full consideration to the impact of proposals, including on the Horserace Betting Levy, and ministers and officials have held regular meetings with both the British Horseracing Authority and the Gambling Commission. The white paper which we will publish in the coming weeks, and any subsequent consultations, will include the necessary assessments of impacts. Government has also committed to review the Horserace Betting Levy by 2024 to ensure the sport is suitably funded for the future.
Asked by: Baroness Davidson of Lundin Links (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what impact assessments on the societal cost of problem gambling they have undertaken to inform their proposed white paper on gambling reform.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Public Health England (PHE)’s evidence review on gambling-related harms estimated the annual cost of harmful gambling to society to be between £841 million and £2.2 billion, or approximately £1.27 billion. Further research is needed to determine costs attributable directly to gambling-related harm rather than those associated with people who are problem or at-risk gamblers.
PHE also conducted a rapid review on the impact of COVID-19 on gambling behaviour and associated harms. The review found consistent evidence that overall gambling participation reduced during the initial COVID-19 lockdown period (March to June 2020), and limited evidence to show any new patterns of harms associated with gambling during COVID-19 restrictions.
The Gambling Commission’s official statistics for the year to March 2021 show that the overall participation in gambling declined over the wider period of COVID-19 lockdowns, largely due to the closure of land-based gambling venues for much of the past year. The proportion of respondents participating in any gambling in the past four weeks fell from 47% in the year to March 2020 to 40% in the year to March 2021. Online gambling participation increased to 24% (up 3 percentage points), whilst in person participation decreased 12 percentage points to 23%. However, the increase in online gambling was largely linked to National Lottery play; excluding National Lottery draws, overall participation online increased marginally from 16.5% to 16.9%.
Asked by: Baroness Davidson of Lundin Links (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what impact assessments on the societal cost of problem gambling they have undertaken to inform their proposed white paper on gambling reform.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
As set out in Public Health England’s evidence review on gambling-related harms, the estimated problem gambling rate for England was 0.5% in 2018, or around 245,600 people, with figures drawn from the Health Survey. The most recent combined Health Survey figure for adults in Great Britain was 0.6%, or approximately 340,000 people, in 2016. To supplement the Health Surveys, the Gambling Commission carries out a quarterly survey by telephone which includes a shortened problem gambling screening. For the year to September 2021 this estimated a problem gambling rate of 0.3%.
According to the Commission’s Young People and Gambling 2019 report, 11% of 11-16 year olds said they had spent their own money on gambling activities in the seven days prior to being surveyed. This was a reduction from 14% in 2018 and 23% in 2011.
Public Health England’s evidence review also looked at the available evidence on the direct, indirect and intangible costs of gambling harm to society. It estimated an annual cost of approximately £1.27 billion associated with people who are problem or at-risk gamblers, including £619.2 million of intangible costs associated with suicide.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of gambling on those from lower socio-economic backgrounds.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
Public Health England (PHE)’s evidence review of gambling-related harms found that the socio-demographic profile of gamblers appears to change as gambling risk increases, with people who are unemployed and people living in more deprived areas showing higher rates of harmful gambling although they have relatively lower levels of participation.
The Gambling Commission requires gambling operators to have completed local risk assessments for each of their gambling premises. This is to ensure that they take into account factors near to their premises, including aspects of economic disadvantage such as addiction treatment centres or homelessness hostels. In accordance with the licensing objectives of the Gambling Act, operators must ensure that they mitigate against these risks.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds North West)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what checks were put in place by the Gambling Commission to ensure the National Lottery was not causing harm to consumers before it extended Camelot UK Lotteries Limited’s licence in June 2020.
Answered by John Whittingdale
The third National Lottery licence contains a provision which allows the Gambling Commission, as the sector regulator, to extend the duration of this Licence for a period of six months. A maximum of two extensions are permitted.
The Gambling Commission decided to enact the first six-month extension to the third licence, due to the impact of the pandemic on the fourth National Lottery licence competition. The licence was extended on existing terms of the Third National Lottery licence. More information can be found on their website, here.
The third National Lottery licence requires the operator to implement player protection strategies to prevent underage and excessive play which must be approved by the Gambling Commission.
The Gambling Commission then adopts a variety of measures to monitor, assess and challenge the National Lottery operator’s player protection performance. This includes detailed monitoring to identify risks to players, and where appropriate, undertaking strategic reviews of areas of the portfolio which are identified as higher (but not necessarily high) risk.
The Gambling Commission is also responsible for approving proposed changes to National Lottery games where it carries out thorough assessments of National Lottery game change proposals in line with its statutory duties, including ensuring that such proposals do not present risks from a player protection perspective.
Evidence from the latest (2018) Health Survey for England shows that National Lottery games were associated with the lowest rates of problem gambling of all gambling products considered.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds North West)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment the Gambling Commission made of Camelot UK Lotteries Limited’s performance and delivery before the decision was taken to extend its licence in June 2020.
Answered by John Whittingdale
The third National Lottery licence contains a provision which allows the Gambling Commission, as the sector regulator, to extend the duration of this Licence for a period of six months. A maximum of two extensions are permitted.
The Gambling Commission decided to enact the first six-month extension to the third licence, due to the impact of the pandemic on the fourth National Lottery licence competition. The licence was extended on existing terms of the Third National Lottery licence. More information can be found on their website, here.
The third National Lottery licence requires the operator to implement player protection strategies to prevent underage and excessive play which must be approved by the Gambling Commission.
The Gambling Commission then adopts a variety of measures to monitor, assess and challenge the National Lottery operator’s player protection performance. This includes detailed monitoring to identify risks to players, and where appropriate, undertaking strategic reviews of areas of the portfolio which are identified as higher (but not necessarily high) risk.
The Gambling Commission is also responsible for approving proposed changes to National Lottery games where it carries out thorough assessments of National Lottery game change proposals in line with its statutory duties, including ensuring that such proposals do not present risks from a player protection perspective.
Evidence from the latest (2018) Health Survey for England shows that National Lottery games were associated with the lowest rates of problem gambling of all gambling products considered.