Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Gambling Review White Paper

Thursday 18 November 2021 · 3 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 2 Partly answered 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The Government is preparing a White Paper on gambling regulation to address the impact of gambling harm.
  • The White Paper will acknowledge the increased risk of harm associated with online gambling compared to land-based gambling.
  • The Government intends to address the practice of gambling companies using VIP rooms to target high-risk gamblers in the White Paper.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Carolyn Harris Lab Neath and Swansea East
Culture, Media & Sport
Context

The MP is concerned about gambling-related harm and the need for regulatory changes based on recent findings from Public Health England.

Question

Whether she plans to publish a White Paper on the gambling review. I am concerned about the impact of gambling harm as highlighted in the recent PHE report, which found that at-risk gamblers are twice as likely to gamble online than the general population. Can we be assured that the forthcoming gambling White Paper will protect those most vulnerable by ensuring restrictions on online stakes match land-based ones?

Answer from Chris Philp

We are preparing a White Paper on gambling regulation that will address our vision for the future. We acknowledge the pernicious nature of online gambling and its potential to cause more harm than land-based gambling, as highlighted in the PHE report. The restrictions applied to fixed odds betting terminals may also be considered for online gambling, although details are still being studied.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific timeline or commitment regarding the calibration of online stake restrictions was not provided.

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Q2 Carolyn Harris Lab Neath and Swansea East
Culture, Media & Sport
Context

The MP is concerned about the abusive practices of VIP rooms in gambling companies, which target individuals who are already at risk.

Question

Will my hon. Friend look seriously in the White Paper at the abusive use by gambling companies of VIP rooms, through which companies deliberately target those who are gambling massively and losing massively to encourage them to gamble more and lose more? It is an immoral practice. Will he make certain in the White Paper that the Government will deal directly and immediately with this issue?

Answer from Chris Philp

We acknowledge that actively encouraging or inciting people to gamble more without regard for their affordability or ability to pay is a damaging practice. The Government intends to address this issue through the White Paper.

Answered
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Q3 Iain Duncan Smith Con Chingford and Woodford Green
Culture, Media & Sport
Context

The MP is concerned about the abusive practices of VIP rooms in gambling companies, which target individuals who are already at risk.

Question

Will my hon. Friend look seriously in the White Paper at the abusive use by gambling companies of VIP rooms, through which companies deliberately target those who are gambling massively and losing massively to encourage them to gamble more and lose more? It is an immoral practice. Will he make certain in the White Paper that the Government will deal directly and immediately with this issue?

Answer from Chris Philp

We acknowledge that actively encouraging or inciting people to gamble more without regard for their affordability or ability to pay is a damaging practice. The Government intends to address this issue through the White Paper.

Answered
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