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Gambling and Lotteries
08 December 2020
Lead MP
Nigel Huddleston
Debate Type
Ministerial Statement
Tags
Culture, Media & Sport
Other Contributors: 39
At a Glance
Nigel Huddleston raised concerns about gambling and lotteries in the House of Commons. A government minister responded. Other MPs also contributed.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Government Statement
The Minister announced a comprehensive review of the UK's Gambling Act, which has been in place since 2005. The review will address significant changes in gambling due to technological advancements, including smartphones and online platforms. It aims to protect children and vulnerable individuals while allowing freedom for those who gamble responsibly. Key areas under consideration include new protections on online products, stake and prize limits, gambling advertising, consumer redress arrangements, research barriers, and the effectiveness of the Gambling Commission. The Minister also announced an immediate increase in the minimum age to purchase national lottery games from 16 to 18, set to take effect by October 2021, with online restrictions starting in April 2021.
Question
Will the Minister assure the House that the review will place at its centre the oversight of algorithms in push marketing and fairness in bet exchanges, dovetailing with robust age verification on social media platforms? Also, when can we expect legislation to curb loot boxes?
Minister reply
The minister assured that technology use is vital for identifying problem gambling issues. He stated that loot box issues are being addressed through a call for evidence and will introduce recommendations shortly. The online lottery changes aim to be implemented as soon as possible but require logistical considerations.
Question
Does the Minister confirm that lived experience of gambling harm will inform the review? He also expressed concern about caveats regarding advertising due to financial difficulties faced by sports organisations and broadcasters. What is the justification for delaying offline lottery age limit changes until October 2021?
Minister reply
The minister confirmed the inclusion of lived experiences in the review and assured that if evidence shows harm from sponsorships, action will be taken. He welcomed submissions regarding alternative models like a statutory levy and offered assurance about ongoing scrutiny.
Chingford and Woodford Green
Question
Pays tribute to all-party parliamentary group on gambling-related harm, particularly chair Carolyn Harris and vice-chair Ronnie Cowan. Presses Minister on the need for bold moves in replacing the Gambling Commission with a body as powerful as Ofcom.
Minister reply
Welcomes comments; acknowledges issues related to VIP schemes; confirms review will explore further options and avenues.
Carolyn Harris
Lab
Neath and Swansea East
Question
Expresses concern about the devastating impact of problem gambling, questioning if those with lived experience will receive equal consideration as well-resourced gambling lobbies.
Minister reply
Acknowledges passion for change; confirms role of people with lived experience is vital; welcomes re-submission of data from previous reviews.
Richard Holden
Con
Basildon and Billericay
Question
Urges clarification on whether high-street gambling will be treated equally to online gambling, highlights need for an ombudsman service as per Public Accounts Committee recommendations.
Minister reply
Acknowledges changing world; ensures all forms of gambling are safe; welcomes sports sector's input.
Andrew Gwynne
Ind
Gorton and Denton
Question
Questions Minister about the role of big tech firms in allowing unregulated black market gambling companies to promote on their websites, targeting under-18s.
Minister reply
Acknowledges concerns; includes regulatory bodies’ responsibilities, powers, and resources dealing with black markets.
Question
Concerned about Government's “do to” rather than “do with” attitude towards sectors during reviews. Asks what discussions the Minister has had regarding financial implications for sporting bodies.
Minister reply
Encourages all stakeholders, including sports bodies, to contribute evidence; intends to have further discussions.
Gerald Jones
Lab
Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare
Question
Welcomes review but questions whether claims from online gambling industry about regulation driving gamblers to black markets are legitimate.
Minister reply
Acknowledges concerns; includes unlicensed market in the review; emphasises need for more information.
Question
Welcomes opportunity presented by review, highlighting importance of balancing regulation with consumer protection and industry contribution.
Minister reply
Acknowledges dangers of unlicensed market; highlights gambling's legitimate nature; recognises industry role in identifying and mitigating harms.
Question
Reminds Minister not to forget communities facing digital exclusion, questions why lottery ticket sales are higher in certain areas without seeing corresponding funding.
Minister reply
Acknowledges comments; review will look at these issues carefully.
Question
Welcomes review and the Minister's commitment to evidence-based approach, highlighting betting companies' contribution to horse-racing (£350 million annually).
Minister reply
Confirms levy on horse-racing not part of this review; considers role gambling has in linking with sport.
Barnsley South
Question
Following her question in April, Stephanie welcomes the Government's extension of the ban on under-18s gambling to the national lottery but questions why credit card betting is still allowed for the lottery when it is banned for other forms of gambling.
Minister reply
Nigel acknowledges Stephanie’s campaigning efforts and explains that there is evidence suggesting lower harm from lottery-based games compared to other forms of gambling, which is why the ban applies differently.
Andrew Bridgen
Con
Question
Given the Public Accounts Committee's report on gambling regulation, Andrew asks whether the review will assess the fit-for-purpose status of the Gambling Commission or consider establishing a new regulatory body.
Minister reply
Nigel thanks Andrew for his comments and indicates that while he is aware of the concerns raised in the committee’s report, it would be premature to make any definitive conclusions at this stage.
Chris Elmore
Lab
Bridgend
Question
As chair of the all-party parliamentary group on social media, Chris questions the Minister about efforts to address gambling promotion by influencers and its impact on children.
Minister reply
Nigel confirms that the Government is considering action on broader issues related to online harms in collaboration with social media companies and will align this work with the ongoing review.
Scott Benton
Con
Question
Raising concerns about unlicensed gambling operators, Scott asks what discussions have been held with online platforms to tackle the black market in gambling.
Minister reply
Nigel acknowledges the importance of addressing this issue and confirms that it will be part of the review process, inviting evidence from all stakeholders.
Liz Twist
Lab
Blaydon and Consett
Question
Concerned about the mental health impacts of problematic gambling, Liz asks how the review will address these issues moving forward.
Minister reply
Nigel explains that the Government is working closely with the Department of Health and Social Care to expand treatment clinics for problem gamblers and has committed £100 million over four years towards this cause.
Scott Mann
Con
Question
Discussing video games and loot boxes, Scott asks whether in-game items obtained via loot boxes fall outside the scope of gambling regulation.
Minister reply
Nigel confirms that while there is ongoing debate about categorization, the Government has completed a call for evidence on loot boxes and will take further action based on recommendations.
Peter Grant
Lab
Question
Highlighting discrepancies in funding between gambling advertising and treatment/oversight resources, Peter suggests that the Gambling Commission should be adequately funded from public funds for independence.
Minister reply
Nigel acknowledges legitimate concerns about the adequacy of current funding and confirms that both advertising regulations and the scope/resources of the Gambling Commission will be reviewed.
Damian Collins
Con
Question
Acknowledging the Minister's stance on loot boxes, Damian raises concerns about targeted social media advertising by gambling companies to vulnerable groups.
Minister reply
Nigel affirms that such unethical practices should not be allowed and clarifies that questions regarding effectiveness of current rules will be major considerations in the call for evidence.
Christine Jardine
Lib Dem
Edinburgh West
Question
Welcoming the review, Christine asks about consultations with other Ministries and Departments on gambling reform.
Minister reply
Nigel confirms ongoing engagement with the Treasury and Department of Health and Social Care, noting collaboration to expand treatment centres for problem gamblers.
Felicity Buchan
Con
Question
Recognising the importance of casinos for tourism, Felicity asks if her hon. Friend agrees that casinos play a key role in attracting visitors.
Minister reply
Nigel agrees and emphasises the importance of ensuring a legitimate gambling industry with a sound footing for future growth, aiming to work closely with the casino sector.
Jim Shannon
DUP
Strangford
Question
Expressing gratitude for the statement on the review, Jim asks about timelines for reform and whether non-legislative measures can be implemented quickly.
Minister reply
Nigel acknowledges the need for timely action and confirms that while some reforms like banning credit card betting have been implemented swiftly, other aspects will be considered within the ongoing review process.
Jacob Young
Lab
Redcar and Cleveland
Question
I fully welcome this review, which will surely protect my constituents in Redcar and Cleveland from gambling harm in the long term. However, the Minister will know—we have had a number of conversations about this—about the issues regarding the horse-race betting levy, and the urgent need for reform to support racecourses such as the one in Redcar. Will he update the House on any steps he has taken to fix that situation, so that Redcar can keep on racing?
Minister reply
I know what a horse-racing fan my hon. Friend is, and we have had many conversations about that issue. The horserace betting levy is not part of this review, but we are having ongoing conversations with the horse-racing industry. I look forward to further conversations with my hon. Friend.
Pontypridd
Question
I broadly welcome today’s announcement, but given this Government’s unforgivable delay to the online harms Bill, many questions are left unanswered. It is vital that young people are protected in their online space, so what considerations have the Government made to include age verification requirements for gambling providers as part of the online harms agenda? When will the Bill finally be brought to Parliament?
Minister reply
The issues of age verification, product, and the way such things are marketed will be part of this review, and they are also ongoing considerations of the Gambling Commission. This will be a 16-week review. We recognise that in these challenging times of covid, responders may need a little more time to respond to the call for evidence, and therefore the review is slightly longer than normal. We will then produce a White Paper with Government recommendations. As I said, the review is deliberately broad, and the issues raised by the hon. Lady will be part of it.
Question
I am clear that online harms are increasing risks to our children, and I note that families have spent much of the past nine months in lockdown. As a parent, I am worried by addiction to games such as Fortnite, when our children could be outside playing. Will my hon. Friend confirm that his Department will consider an outright ban on gambling incentives such as loot boxes, as well as better educating parents, carers and teachers about the dangers of online gaming?
Minister reply
The issues around loot boxes that my hon. Friend articulates are legitimate; hence the call for evidence on loot boxes. That call for evidence ended on 22 November. The Government are currently considering the evidence that has been brought forward, and we will respond in due course. My hon. Friend raises legitimate concerns that have been raised by the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee and many others over many years.
Alex Norris
Lab Co-op
Nottingham North and Kimberley
Question
The bookies form a key part of our high streets and provide a supervised environment for responsible gambling. In contrast, the online gambling space is like the wild west. We have heard so much about black market operators that have caused extraordinary levels of harm, so it is right the Government are looking at this issue. However, that will only be effective alongside good online harms legislation, which we have been promised for three years now. When will we see it?
Minister reply
The hon. Gentleman is right to point out that the online harms legislation was a commitment. It is absolutely a commitment. I know that it gets support on both sides of the Chamber, and we will be hearing more in due course.
Greg Smith
Con
Mid Buckinghamshire
Question
I very much welcome my hon. Friend’s statement as a vital step in bringing up to date the provisions of the Gambling Act 2005, but may I ask him for some reassurance about how any test of balance will be weighted so that prevention of harm can rightly take centre stage, while we ensure at the same time that the millions of people who gamble responsibly are not in some way stigmatised, and, as others have said, that activities are not driven underground?
Minister reply
I thank my hon. Friend for pointing out the absolute necessity in this review for a balanced, evidence-led approach. I assure him that we will strike the right balance between giving individuals the freedom to choose how they spend their own money, and protecting vulnerable people and their families from gambling-related harm. It is a balancing act, and we take that responsibility very seriously.
Question
Last year, the vice president of EA described loot boxes as “ethical”, “fun” and akin to buying “Kinder eggs”. However, research has linked some loot boxes with problem gambling in older adolescents, so we clearly need to take action. I hear what the Minister is saying about the call for evidence just finishing and that that is part of a separate review, but how will that review feed into this wider review of the Gambling Act overall?
Minister reply
Yes, I can confirm that the call for evidence has concluded, and we will be responding to that soon. Legal definitions were one of the reasons that it was a separate review from the one on gambling, but that should aid the process, rather than hinder it.
Question
I warmly welcome this review and today’s announcement. As the Minister has said, the way that people gamble in 2020 is completely different from how the majority of gambling took place when the Gambling Act was passed in 2005. Does the Minister agree that, in line with these changes, the Government should be considering boosting the powers and resources of the Gambling Commission to ensure that it can keep pace with the licence sector and tackle the black market?
Minister reply
Indeed; the scope, roles, responsibilities and resources of the Gambling Commission will form part of the review. It is right that we consider the structure of governance and regulation for the industry, and any recommendations and suggestions that my hon. Friend has would be welcome as part of the call for evidence.
Question
I thank the Minister for his statement and welcome the review. However, it is believed that, in the UK alone, members of the armed forces are eight times more likely to develop gambling addictions, especially if they have experienced past traumatic events. Given this distressing statistic, will the Minister confirm whether he has had any discussions with Defence Ministers about measures to prevent the spread of problem gambling among our armed forces personnel?
Minister reply
The hon. Lady is right to point out that certain demographics and roles are more susceptible to problem gambling than others. I have not had specific conversations with the Ministry of Defence yet, but we would welcome input on this issue as part of the evidence process. She raises the important point that different segments of the population are impacted and targeted differently, and the scope of this review includes looking at targeting and the prevalence of gambling among different demographics.
Question
I fully appreciate that the focus of this review will be on the technological advances in recent years, but I still have major concerns about the number of gaming centres and venues for gambling in Peterborough, particularly in the Millfield area of my city, and the subsequent risk of gambling-related harm to some of the most vulnerable local people. I welcome this review, but will my hon. Friend consider giving local councils such as Peterborough City Council further powers to close problem high street gambling venues and restrict the number of venues in any one particular area?
Minister reply
I thank my hon. Friend for his comments. There are already regulations and rules if there are problems, and social and behavioural challenges, in terms of the powers that local government has. He raises important points, though; as I said, in terms of responsible gambling across the board, we intend to ensure that this review is evidence-led and looks at a whole variety of issues, including the ones he raises.
Toby Perkins
Lab
Chesterfield
Question
I very much welcome this review. As the statement has exposed, a huge breadth of issues need to be considered. Will the Minister say something about the extent to which the amount of gambling that now takes place online creates opportunities to gain much better information about who is gambling and for ensuring that issues that are raised by the review are targeted at those who are problem gamblers? Will he ensure that that information is more widely available?
Minister reply
The hon. Gentleman makes a really important point. Just last year, for the first time, gross gambling yield was greater online than offline, so we have now reached that cusp where more gambling in the UK is online. We should therefore be able to use technology, and emerging technology, in a far more sophisticated way, as he suggests, to make sure that we identify problem gambling and potential problem gambling. I would expect information on that to be part of this review.
Clive Efford
Lab
Eltham
Question
In my experience, in the past the gambling industry has been able to exert a great deal of influence over the Minister’s Department. I welcome his commitment to an evidence-based review, but if the review is to be effective, it will need access to data from the industry and to up-to-date research. Will he commit to ensuring that this wealthy industry pays for fully independent research to be carried out, which we are all going to need if we are going to carry out this review effectively?
Minister reply
The hon. Gentleman makes an important point about the historically poor level of information, data and research in this sector. It is improving, and we hope that this evidence-led review will add to the base of information. His characterisation of the Department, though, is wrong, as evidenced by the obvious and significant changes we have made to gambling over the last few years, with FOBTs last year, the changes to credit cards, VIP schemes, mandatory participation in GAMSTOP and the changes that we are announcing to the national lottery today, as well as a whole host of other issues. This Government have shown that we are willing to act when necessary.
Question
I very much welcome my hon. Friend’s statement. Clearly, having consumer protection at the heart of any new regulation is key, so will he describe what sort of action my constituents in Dudley North can take if they believe that an operator is in breach of social responsibility requirements?
Minister reply
I thank my hon. Friend for those comments. He is absolutely right that legitimate concerns have been raised by many, including in this place, about redress in the gambling sector. That is why the call for evidence will specifically ask for information and evidence on potential future redress procedures, and all options are open at the moment.
Patrick Grady
SNP
Glasgow Maryhill
Question
Paid tribute to Maria Fyfe and asked about the Minister's steps to ensure organisations such as Community Central Hall continue to receive funding, whether through the lottery or other sustainable sources.
Minister reply
Joined in paying tribute to Maria Fyfe. Stated that the impact of 16-17 year-olds not being able to play the lottery is likely around £6 million out of a total distribution of around £1.8 billion annually, noting the importance of continued lottery funding for good causes.
Nigel Mills
Con
Amber Valley
Question
Asked if the review will recognise the important role that high street gambling venues play in local employment and whether it would move gamblers to an unregulated online world.
Minister reply
Acknowledged the importance of striking a balance between enabling safe gambling on high streets while protecting individuals at risk, praising entities for taking their responsibilities seriously.
Kevin Brennan
Lab
Cardiff West
Question
Asked if this review is an opportunity to maximise fun for people who want to gamble but minimise harm and whether prohibition works.
Minister reply
Agreed that the right balance needs to be struck, welcoming voluntary changes from the industry while emphasising willingness to regulate legally if necessary.
Simon Fell
Con
Bournemouth East
Question
Welcomed the statement and asked about consideration for anonymous contributions to the review by those who suffer most from addiction.
Minister reply
Acknowledged the sensitivity of information provided, encouraging all stakeholders, including charities, to contribute while respecting confidentiality needs.
Shadow Comment
Julian Knight
Shadow Comment
The Shadow Minister questioned the review's focus on algorithm oversight and fairness in bet exchanges. He also asked about the timing of loot box legislation and the national lottery age limit changes, suggesting they could be implemented more quickly. He emphasised the need for robust age verification on social media platforms.
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