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 assessment they have made of the effectiveness of the Advertising Standards Authority’s measures to ensure gambling advertisements do not reach underage audiences; and what plans they have to review the authority’s performance as regulator.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The ASA is the UK’s independent frontline regulator of adverts and works closely with a network of partner regulators, including Ofcom and the Gambling Commission, which act as a legal backstop to the ASA’s day-to-day enforcement in some areas. While government cannot formally review the performance of the ASA we engage regularly with the regulator to understand issues of non-compliance with its codes and how it adapts and responds to changes in the advertising industry.
The Committees of Advertising Practice (CAP) and Broadcast Committees of Advertising Practice (BCAP) Codes, enforced by the ASA, contain a wide range of provisions that are designed to protect children and ensure that gambling adverts are socially responsible. Operators must ensure that their advertising is not targeted at children and must not appear in media created for children or for which children make up 25% or more of the audience. Operators must also ensure that they take all reasonable steps to use data available to exclude individuals on the basis of their age or other relevant criteria.
We continue to monitor the best available evidence in this area and will consider appropriate action as necessary.
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 assessment they have made of the recommendation by the World Health Organization on 2 December to implement a public health approach to prevent gambling harm, including ending gambling advertising, promotion, and sponsorship of sports and other cultural activities.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Department has noted the World Health Organization’s recommendations around gambling advertising. We are committed to reviewing the best available evidence on the impact of gambling advertising, including around sport, from a wide range of sources in order to ensure there are robust protections in place to protect those at risk.
As I set out in my speech at the GambleAware conference on 4 December, I want to see the gambling industry further raise standards to ensure that levels of gambling advertising does not exacerbate harm. We will be monitoring this work closely.
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 assessment they have made of the video games industry's self-regulation on loot boxes; and what plans they have, if any, to ensure mobile games disclose that they contain loot boxes and make available parental controls to prevent children from acquiring loot boxes without permission.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
We are committed to ensuring that purchases of loot boxes should not be available to children and young people unless and until they are enabled by a parent or guardian; and that all players should have access to and be aware of spending controls and transparent information to support safe and responsible gaming.
The previous Government convened a Technical Working Group (TWG) of video game developers, which produced new industry-led guidance on consumer protections, published in July 2023. The TWG has prepared a report on industry implementation of the measures, which we urge all video games companies to adopt in full. In addition, we have commissioned independent academic research to assess the effectiveness of the new guidance and will consider whether further action is required when this research is complete.
The Advertising Standards Authority and the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) are responsible for setting and enforcing the UK Advertising Codes and are independent of the government. The Department meets regularly with representatives of the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) on a range of matters. The ASA’s rulings on breaches of loot box advertising code requirements are available at: https://www.asa.org.uk/codes-and-rulings/rulings.html.
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 educate parents, carers and young people about the risks of online gambling and advertising exposure.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Protecting children and young people from being harmed or exploited by gambling is a core Gambling Commission objective, and a priority for the Government. To prevent children and young people from experiencing gambling-related harm later in life, since 2020, children have been taught about the risks relating to gambling as part of the statutory Relationships, Sex and Health Education curriculum in England.
The government is introducing a statutory levy to be paid by gambling operators raising funding for research, prevention and treatment of gambling-related harms. We recognise that more may need to be done to improve the education of children and young people around the risks and harms associated with gambling. The levy will play an important part in the Government’s wider aim to have a better informed and protected public when it comes to gambling harms.
As I set out last week, I have set the gambling industry a clear task to further raise standards to ensure that levels of gambling advertising does not exacerbate harm, and this work will be monitored closely.
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 assessment they have made of the potential benefits to public health of using the tax system to disincentivise consumption of online gambling products.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government is committed to strengthening protections to ensure that people can continue to enjoy gambling as a pastime without the harms that can ensue from harmful gambling. We are acutely aware of the impact harmful gambling can have on individuals and their families. We are committed to reviewing the best available evidence from a wide range of sources and working with all stakeholders in order to support the sector and ensure there are robust protections in place to protect those at risk.
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 discussions they have had with the Advertising Standards Authority regarding the compliance of gaming companies that are advertising products containing loot boxes with current UK advertising codes.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
My Department meets regularly with representatives of the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) on a range of matters.
The ASA and the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) are responsible for setting and enforcing the UK Advertising Codes and are independent of the government. The ASA’s rulings on breaches of loot box advertising code requirements are available at https://www.asa.org.uk/codes-and-rulings/rulings.html
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, following further breaches of the Advertising Standards Authority codes on publicising the availability of loot boxes by members of the DCMS technical working group on loot boxes, what steps they will take to ensure that the codes and their oversight are strengthened.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) and the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) are responsible for setting and enforcing the UK Advertising Codes and are independent of the government.
The ASA takes firm action to ban adverts for loot boxes that are in breach of their codes and has published comprehensive guidance for advertisers of in-game purchasing. The ASA is assessing the nature and scale of ads that fail to inform the audience of in-game purchasing, and considering further action through individual investigations or enforcement activity conducted by CAP Compliance teams.
We are committed to ensuring that purchases of loot boxes should not be available to children and young people unless and until they are enabled by a parent or guardian; and that all players should have access to and be aware of spending controls and transparent information to support safe and responsible gaming.
In July 2023, the previous Government agreed to new industry-led guidance produced by a DCMS-convened Technical Working Group (TWG) of video game developers ; a 12 month implementation period ended in July 2024. The TWG is preparing a report on industry implementation of the measures, which we urge all video games companies to adopt in full. We are separately commissioning independent academic research to assess the effectiveness of the new guidance in improving player protections and will consider whether further action is required when this research is complete.
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 plans they have to reduce levels of advertising and marketing of gambling, as well as the sponsorship of sporting bodies by gambling companies.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
We are in the early stages of the new Government and are still considering the full range of gambling policy. However, the Government recognises the impact harmful gambling can have on individuals and their families and, as stated in its manifesto, the Government is committed to strengthening the protections for those at risk. We will consider the best available evidence from a wide range of sources to inform decisions on how best to fulfil its manifesto commitment to reducing gambling-related harm.
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, following the recent breach of the Advertising Standards Authority codes by DCMS Technical Working Group members Electronic Arts, Jagex, and Hutch Games, what steps they are taking to (1) evaluate, and (2) ensure compliance with, industry-led principles and guidance on the use of paid loot boxes in computer games.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Shadow Minister (Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
Following our response to the call for evidence on loot boxes in video games, HM Government has welcomed new industry-led guidance to improve protections for all players, including young people.
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 can be aware of, spending controls and transparent information to support safe and responsible playing of games.
We are working closely with the industry and academia to support independent scrutiny of these new measures. The Government has agreed a 12-month implementation period and has asked the industry, co-ordinated by Ukie, to report back to DCMS on the extent to which the new measures have been implemented.
We will continue to keep our position on possible future legislative options under review, informed by academic scrutiny of the industry-led guidance. We will provide a further update following the 12-month implementation period.
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 assessment they have made of the appropriateness of Electronic Arts remaining a member of the Technical Working Group on Loot Boxes, following the ruling by the Advertising Standards Authority that it breached the CAP Code by failing to disclose the presence of in-game purchases in some of its products.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Shadow Minister (Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
His Majesty’s Government is committed to ensuring that video games can be enjoyed safely and responsibly by everyone.
The Advertising Standards Authority ruled that Electronic Arts had breached the Committee of Advertising Practice guidance on two of its adverts by failing to disclose the presence of in-game purchases including random items. We understand that Electronic Arts has responded that the error has been resolved and the adverts removed, which the Advertising Standards Authority has acknowledged.
In July 2023, video games trade body Ukie published new, industry-led guidance on loot boxes to improve player protections. The guidance was developed by a DCMS-convened Technical Working Group which brought together knowledge and expertise from major games companies and platforms operating in the UK, including Electronic Arts. The group met eight times and engaged with academics, the Games Rating Authority, the Information Commissioner’s Office, and the Competition and Markets Authority.