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, what discussions he has had with his Northern Irish counterpart on the operation of Fixed Odds Betting Terminals (FOBTs) in Northern Ireland following the reduction in the maximum stake on FOBTs in Great Britain to £2 in 2019.
Answered by John Whittingdale
Gambling in Northern Ireland is a devolved issue regulated under the Betting, Gaming, Lotteries and Amusements (NI) Order 1985. I have not discussed the operation of Fixed Odds Betting Terminals following the 2019 stake cut with my Northern Irish counterpart.
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, for what reason the Gambling Commission permits some licensees to operate gaming machines in betting shops in Northern Ireland at stakes in excess of 25p per spin, the maximum permitted under the Betting, Gaming, Lotteries and Amusements (NI) Order 1985.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
Gambling activity in Northern Ireland is a devolved issue regulated under the Betting, Gaming, Lotteries and Amusements (NI) Order 1985. The Gambling Commission has no role in setting or enforcing rules on stake limits, physical premises requirements, and the remote gambling offered in Northern Ireland, or any jurisdiction other than Great Britain.
There is no provision for licensing online gambling in the Betting, Gaming, Lotteries and Amusements (NI) Order 1985, however, under section 5 of the Gambling (Licensing and Advertising) Act 2014 online operators who wish to advertise their services in Northern Ireland must hold a licence from the Gambling Commission.
In accordance with the Statement of Principles for Licencing and Regulation (June 2017), the only time Gambling Commission assumes jurisdiction in Northern Ireland to investigate regulatory breaches is when an Northern Ireland consumer has a dispute with an online operator which is relying on the GB licence it holds from the Gambling Commission.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the lowering of stakes on fixed-odds betting terminals in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Tracey Crouch
Gambling in Northern Ireland is a devolved matter and the regulatory change to sub-category B2 machines will cover Great Britain only.
Asked by: Lady Hermon (Independent - North Down)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the number of fixed-odds betting terminals operating in Northern Ireland in each of the last six years.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
Regulation of Fixed Odds betting Terminals is devolved and in Northern Ireland it is the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Department for Communities.
Asked by: Callum McCaig (Scottish National Party - Aberdeen South)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of devolving to the Scottish Parliament all aspects of (a) gaming and betting legislation, (b) including curbing the terminals' speed of play and maximum stakes for fixed-odds betting terminals and (c) other regulation of fixed-odds betting terminals.
Answered by Tracey Crouch
The Scotland Bill will give the Scottish Parliament and Scottish Ministers the power to vary the number of sub-category B2 gaming machines (FOBTs) permitted by new betting premises licences. The UK Government will retain the equivalent powers on FOBTs for the rest of the UK, except for Northern Ireland where gambling is a devolved matter.
Asked by: Ian Blackford (Scottish National Party - Ross, Skye and Lochaber)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will introduce for the rest of the UK equivalent powers as those proposed in the Scotland Bill on fixed odds betting terminals.
Answered by Tracey Crouch
The Scotland Bill would give the Scottish Parliament and Scottish Ministers the power to vary the number of sub-category B2 gaming machines (FOBTs) permitted by new betting premises licences. The UK Government would retain the equivalent powers on FOBTs for the rest of the UK, except for Northern Ireland where gambling is a devolved matter.
In line with our commitment in the St David's Day Agreement, the UK Government is giving careful consideration to whethernon-fiscal recommendations from Lord Smith's commission on devolving powers should be implemented for Wales.