To match an exact phrase, use quotation marks around the search term. eg. "Parliamentary Estate". Use "OR" or "AND" as link words to form more complex queries.


View sample alert

Keep yourself up-to-date with the latest developments by exploring our subscription options to receive notifications direct to your inbox

Written Question
Gambling: Video Games
Friday 1st March 2024

Asked by: Lord Foster of Bath (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

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

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to monitor gambling within video games.

Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

His Majesty’s Government and the Gambling Commission continue to pay close attention to novel and emergent forms of gambling and gambling-like products, including within video games, to ensure that appropriate regulation is in place.

HM Government has welcomed new, industry-led guidance which aims to address concerns about the use of loot boxes in video games.

Measures to protect players should ensure that the purchase of loot boxes is unavailable to all children and young people unless enabled by a parent or guardian, and that all players have access to, and are aware of, spending controls and transparent information to support safe and responsible gameplay.

The Government has agreed a 12-month implementation period for the new guidance on loot boxes and has asked the industry, co-ordinated by Ukie, to report back to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on the extent to which it has been implemented.

We will continue to keep our position on possible future legislative options under review, informed by academic scrutiny of the industry-led measures. We will provide a further update in due course, following the 12-month implementation period.


Written Question
Gambling: Video Games
Thursday 29th February 2024

Asked by: Jamie Stone (Liberal Democrat - Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to evaluate the (a) implementation and (b) effectiveness efficacy of industry-led measures on loot boxes.

Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Following the Government response to the call for evidence on loot boxes in video games, the Government has welcomed new industry-led guidance and its potential, if fully implemented, to meet our objectives to improve protections for players.

The Government has agreed a 12-month implementation period for the new guidance on loot boxes and has asked the industry, coordinated by Ukie, to report back to DCMS on the extent to which it has been implemented and on steps taken in areas identified for further work.

We are working closely with industry and academics to ensure robust data is available to support evaluation of these measures, supported by the Video Games Research Framework which was developed and published by DCMS.

We will provide a further update in due course, following the 12-month implementation period and informed by independent academic scrutiny of the implementation and efficacy of these measures.


Written Question
Gambling: Young People
Thursday 8th February 2024

Asked by: Carolyn Harris (Labour - Swansea East)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the study by Gabriel A. Brooks and Luke Clark entitled, The gamblers of the future? Migration from loot boxes to gambling in a longitudinal study of young adults, published in Computers in Human Behaviour, volume 141, in April 2023.

Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

His Majesty’s Government struck a balanced and evidence-led approach in our review of gambling regulation. We continue to monitor research, and have carefully considered the findings in this study. We recognise that there is a growing body of research that provides evidence of an association between loot box purchases and gambling activity, as well as evidence of a link with a variety of harms, including harmful gambling. However, research has not established whether a causal relationship exists, and there are a range of plausible explanations.

In order to address gaps in research around these and similar areas, we have developed and published the Video Games Research Framework to support high quality independent research into video games, including loot boxes. We are also introducing a statutory levy charged to gambling operators which will raise trusted, long-term funding for gambling research. We are clear that we will continue to look carefully at any further research that results from that and take action if necessary.


Written Question
Video Games: Prizes
Thursday 8th February 2024

Asked by: Lord Foster of Bath (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

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

To ask His Majesty's Government what action they plan to take, if any, against gaming companies that generate transferable loot boxes, or loot box content that can be transferred.

Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

His Majesty’s Government and the Gambling Commission continue to monitor the convergence of video games and gambling closely. The majority of loot box rewards do not have a monetary value, cannot be cashed out, and are of value only in the context of a given game. They do not therefore meet the definition of gambling as set out in the Gambling Act 2005. All operators providing gambling services to consumers in Britain require a licence from the Gambling Commission. Offering any gambling activity without a licence is an offence. The Gambling Commission has demonstrated that it will take strong regulatory action where video game products do amount to unlicensed gambling, including in instances when the trading of items obtained from loot boxes brings loot box mechanics within the statutory definitions of gambling.

In July 2023, UK Interactive Entertainment published new, industry-led guidance on loot boxes. HM Government welcomes this guidance, which, if fully implemented, has the potential to meet the objectives set out in the Government’s response to our call for evidence on loot boxes, published in July 2022. We have agreed a 12-month implementation period during which we expect the industry to work with players, parents, academics, consumer groups and Government bodies to implement this guidance in full.


Written Question
Video Games: Prizes
Thursday 8th February 2024

Asked by: Lord Foster of Bath (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

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

To ask His Majesty's Government what action they plan to take, if any, to tackle the ability of computer games players to ‘cash out’ loot box prizes through online platforms such as the Steam Community Market.

Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

His Majesty’s Government and the Gambling Commission continue to monitor the convergence of video games and gambling closely. The majority of loot box rewards do not have a monetary value, cannot be cashed out, and are of value only in the context of a given game. They do not therefore meet the definition of gambling as set out in the Gambling Act 2005. All operators providing gambling services to consumers in Britain require a licence from the Gambling Commission. Offering any gambling activity without a licence is an offence. The Gambling Commission has demonstrated that it will take strong regulatory action where video game products do amount to unlicensed gambling, including in instances when the trading of items obtained from loot boxes brings loot box mechanics within the statutory definitions of gambling.

In July 2023, UK Interactive Entertainment published new, industry-led guidance on loot boxes. HM Government welcomes this guidance, which, if fully implemented, has the potential to meet the objectives set out in the Government’s response to our call for evidence on loot boxes, published in July 2022. We have agreed a 12-month implementation period during which we expect the industry to work with players, parents, academics, consumer groups and Government bodies to implement this guidance in full.


Written Question
Gambling: Video Games
Wednesday 7th February 2024

Asked by: Ronnie Cowan (Scottish National Party - Inverclyde)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department plans to take steps to help prevent prevent a potential normalisation of gambling among young people via loot boxes in Apps and video games.

Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Following the Government response to the call for evidence on loot boxes in video games, the Government has welcomed new industry-led guidance that aims to address the concerns identified for all players, including young people.

Measures to protect players should ensure that the purchase of loot boxes should be unavailable to all children and young people unless enabled by a parent or guardian, and all players should have access to, and be aware of, spending controls and transparent information to support safe and responsible gameplay.

The Government has agreed a 12-month implementation period for the new guidance on loot boxes and has asked the industry, coordinated by Ukie, to report back to DCMS on the extent to which it has been implemented.

We will continue to keep our position on possible future legislative options under review, informed by academic scrutiny of the industry-led measures. We will provide a further update in due course, following the 12-month implementation period.

Under the Gambling Act 2005, gambling is defined as playing a game of chance for a prize of money or money’s worth. The prizes that can be won via most loot boxes do not have a monetary value, cannot be cashed-out, and are of value only within the context of the game. They therefore do not meet that definition. As set out in the Government’s response to the call for evidence, there are also a number of disadvantages to changing the definition of gambling including the likelihood of capturing unintended activities, creating logistical difficulties in increasing the remit of the Gambling Commission, and undermining gambling taxation.


Written Question
Gambling: Video Games
Wednesday 7th February 2024

Asked by: Ronnie Cowan (Scottish National Party - Inverclyde)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, on what evidential basis the decision not to define loot boxes as gambling as part of the Gambling White Paper was made.

Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Following the Government response to the call for evidence on loot boxes in video games, the Government has welcomed new industry-led guidance that aims to address the concerns identified for all players, including young people.

Measures to protect players should ensure that the purchase of loot boxes should be unavailable to all children and young people unless enabled by a parent or guardian, and all players should have access to, and be aware of, spending controls and transparent information to support safe and responsible gameplay.

The Government has agreed a 12-month implementation period for the new guidance on loot boxes and has asked the industry, coordinated by Ukie, to report back to DCMS on the extent to which it has been implemented.

We will continue to keep our position on possible future legislative options under review, informed by academic scrutiny of the industry-led measures. We will provide a further update in due course, following the 12-month implementation period.

Under the Gambling Act 2005, gambling is defined as playing a game of chance for a prize of money or money’s worth. The prizes that can be won via most loot boxes do not have a monetary value, cannot be cashed-out, and are of value only within the context of the game. They therefore do not meet that definition. As set out in the Government’s response to the call for evidence, there are also a number of disadvantages to changing the definition of gambling including the likelihood of capturing unintended activities, creating logistical difficulties in increasing the remit of the Gambling Commission, and undermining gambling taxation.


Written Question
Gambling: Video Games
Wednesday 7th February 2024

Asked by: Ronnie Cowan (Scottish National Party - Inverclyde)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has made an assessment of the relationship between (a) the use of in-game loot boxes and (b) the likelihood of future gambling related harms amongst young people.

Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Following the Government response to the call for evidence on loot boxes in video games, the Government has welcomed new industry-led guidance that aims to address the concerns identified for all players, including young people.

Measures to protect players should ensure that the purchase of loot boxes should be unavailable to all children and young people unless enabled by a parent or guardian, and all players should have access to, and be aware of, spending controls and transparent information to support safe and responsible gameplay.

The Government has agreed a 12-month implementation period for the new guidance on loot boxes and has asked the industry, coordinated by Ukie, to report back to DCMS on the extent to which it has been implemented.

We will continue to keep our position on possible future legislative options under review, informed by academic scrutiny of the industry-led measures. We will provide a further update in due course, following the 12-month implementation period.

Under the Gambling Act 2005, gambling is defined as playing a game of chance for a prize of money or money’s worth. The prizes that can be won via most loot boxes do not have a monetary value, cannot be cashed-out, and are of value only within the context of the game. They therefore do not meet that definition. As set out in the Government’s response to the call for evidence, there are also a number of disadvantages to changing the definition of gambling including the likelihood of capturing unintended activities, creating logistical difficulties in increasing the remit of the Gambling Commission, and undermining gambling taxation.


Written Question
Gambling: Video Games
Wednesday 7th February 2024

Asked by: Iain Duncan Smith (Conservative - Chingford and Woodford Green)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment the Government has made of the adequacy of the UK Interactive Entertainment principles and guidance on loot boxes; and what steps she plans to take to help ensure compliance with that guidance.

Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Following the Government response to the call for evidence on loot boxes in video games, the Government has welcomed new industry-led guidance that aims to address the concerns identified for all players, including young people.

Measures to protect players should ensure that the purchase of loot boxes should be unavailable to all children and young people unless enabled by a parent or guardian, and all players should have access to, and be aware of, spending controls and transparent information to support safe and responsible gameplay.

The Government has agreed a 12-month implementation period for the new guidance on loot boxes and has asked the industry, coordinated by Ukie, to report back to DCMS on the extent to which it has been implemented.

We will continue to keep our position on possible future legislative options under review, informed by academic scrutiny of the industry-led measures. We will provide a further update in due course, following the 12-month implementation period.


Written Question
Gambling: Video Games
Wednesday 7th February 2024

Asked by: Iain Duncan Smith (Conservative - Chingford and Woodford Green)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department plans to take to help ensure that the gaming industry complies with voluntary or self-regulatory measures to prevent gambling harms.

Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Following the Government response to the call for evidence on loot boxes in video games, the Government has welcomed new industry-led guidance that aims to address the concerns identified for all players, including young people.

Measures to protect players should ensure that the purchase of loot boxes should be unavailable to all children and young people unless enabled by a parent or guardian, and all players should have access to, and be aware of, spending controls and transparent information to support safe and responsible gameplay.

The Government has agreed a 12-month implementation period for the new guidance on loot boxes and has asked the industry, coordinated by Ukie, to report back to DCMS on the extent to which it has been implemented.

We will continue to keep our position on possible future legislative options under review, informed by academic scrutiny of the industry-led measures. We will provide a further update in due course, following the 12-month implementation period.