Asked by: Alex Ballinger (Labour - Halesowen)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to prevent gambling operators from using content marketing to reach children and young people.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government is committed to prioritising protections for children and young people.
Operators must comply with the UK Code of Non-broadcast Advertising and Direct & Promotional Marketing (CAP Code) when advertising online, including when utilising content marketing. This Code is enforced by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) who are independent of Government, and contains a number of rules to ensure that adverts are not of strong appeal to under-18s, and are not targeted at children and young people.
The ASA has power to take action when advertising is in breach of the Code, and can also refer operators to the Gambling Commission for possible regulatory action. ASA ruling outcomes are published online.
Asked by: Alex Ballinger (Labour - Halesowen)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with social media and streaming platforms about preventing gambling promotions from reaching under-18s.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Gambling advertising on social media must adhere to the same standards set for other mediums. Advertising codes require operators to ensure targeting is used responsibly, utilising tools available on platforms to exclude under-18s and other vulnerable groups from exposure wherever possible.
The Government engages with a number of stakeholders, including online platforms, regarding the effectiveness of age restrictions.
Asked by: Alex Ballinger (Labour - Halesowen)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps the Government is taking to prevent AI tools from directing UK consumers to black market gambling websites.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government takes the issue of children being directed to illegal gambling sites very seriously.
AI chatbots covered by the Online Safety Act must protect all users from illegal content. We continue to work with a wide range of stakeholders to ensure these rules keep pace with technology and will not hesitate to go further if there is evidence to do so.
The Government is committed to tackling illegal gambling through the Illegal Gambling Taskforce. We will therefore consider examples of chatbots promoting illegal sites to children, in conjunction with other issues, when deciding on the best next steps to increase protections against illegal gambling.
Asked by: Alex Ballinger (Labour - Halesowen)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the BBC’s Digbeth development on regional storytelling in the West Midlands.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government wants broadcasters to be more ambitious in growing the TV sector outside London and the South East and commissioning content nationwide, and for British storytelling to reflect the full diversity of people, communities and experiences across the UK. As part of Charter Review we are looking at how we can ensure the BBC’s commissioning, decision-making, and budgets truly reflect and deliver for all nations and regions of the UK.
The BBC expected to open its Digbeth headquarters in Birmingham in 2027, an example of the positive role the BBC is playing in the West Midlands. This is expected to create over 900 jobs and encourage 200 new creative businesses in the region over the next decade.
Asked by: Alex Ballinger (Labour - Halesowen)
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 ensure that a new BBC Charter provides sustainable and stable funding.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
As we consider BBC funding as part of Charter Review, we will look at how we can ensure the funding model is sustainable while also being fair and affordable for households. This will allow the BBC to deliver for all of us, drive growth of the creative industries, nurture talent, create jobs and invest across the whole of the UK. We are looking at a range of options, including how the BBC can operate more efficiently, generate more commercial revenue, and how the licence fee could be reformed. Decisions will be published in due course via the upcoming White Paper.
Asked by: Alex Ballinger (Labour - Halesowen)
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 in the context of the University of Sheffield’s findings that gambling advertisements during the 2022 FIFA World Cup significantly influenced betting behaviour; and what measures she plans to put in place to ensure adequate protections before the 2026 tournament.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
We consider a wide range of evidence when making policy and regulatory decisions. This includes consideration of Sheffield University’s recent report on World Cup advertising and its impact on gambling behaviour.
All operators advertising in the UK must comply with robust advertising codes. These codes are regularly reviewed and updated. In this context, those include a ban on gambling advertisements during pre-watershed live sports broadcasts lasting from 5 minutes before to 5 minutes after the event itself.
The Government recognises that exposure to gambling advertising is an important issue. We continue to consider a wide range of evidence in this space and will work closely with relevant stakeholders to further strengthen protections. This includes our recent announcement of an intention to consult on banning sports sponsorship by unlicensed gambling operators.
Asked by: Alex Ballinger (Labour - Halesowen)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of financial penalties for social responsibility failings in acting as a deterrent.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Financial penalties are one element of the Gambling Commission’s regulatory toolkit. Action taken by the Gambling Commission is based on the need to gain compliance from gambling operators with the Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice at the earliest opportunity. If breaches occur, financial penalties may be imposed.
Since 2016/17, the Commission’s enforcement action has resulted in over £215 million in fines and regulatory settlements. As a result of the Commission’s compliance and enforcement work, in the last three years there have been fewer instances of extreme failings at gambling operators. However, the Commission continues to address any non-compliance through use of its enforcement powers and will continue to do so wherever necessary.
Asked by: Alex Ballinger (Labour - Halesowen)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of gambling advertisements on children and young people; and whether she plans to introduce legislative measures to restrict or ban gambling marketing and sponsorship.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
All operators advertising in the UK must comply with robust advertising codes, which are enforced by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) independently of Government. These codes are regularly reviewed and updated and include a wide range of provisions designed to protect children and vulnerable adults from harm.
The Government does not currently have plans to ban gambling advertising. However, we recognise that children and young people’s exposure to gambling advertising is an important issue and we continue to work closely with the gambling industry to further strengthen protections.
We have welcomed the Premier League’s voluntary front of shirt ban on gambling advertisements from next season, which will reduce gambling exposure for children and young people. Additionally, we will redouble our efforts to work cross-government and with tech platforms to address illegal gambling advertising, which poses the most risk for children and young people.
Asked by: Alex Ballinger (Labour - Halesowen)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the potential merits of including public health officials in the gambling license process.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport has not had discussions on this matter with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care.
There are several ways that public health officials at local authorities contribute to the gambling licensing process. For example, as noted in the Gambling Commission’s Guidance to Licensing Authorities, public health teams can advise licensing authorities on their Licensing Statement of Policy for gambling, to help ensure it reflects current risks and knowledge. Public health teams can also contribute to the development of ‘local area profiles’. These can be used to identify higher-risk areas where gambling premises must implement mitigation measures to address risk, and the Gambling Commission and Local Government Association have encouraged licensing authorities to produce them.
We recognise some stakeholders have noted it is unclear whether the Gambling Act designates public health officials as a responsible authority in the licensing process. We will consider the best available evidence to inform any future decisions in this area.
Asked by: Alex Ballinger (Labour - Halesowen)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she will assess the potential merits of reviewing the aim to permit duty under the Gambling Act 2005 to strengthen the ability of local authorities to limit gambling harms.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Local authorities are vital partners in the regulation of gambling and have a range of powers to influence the operation of gambling premises and limit gambling harm. These include site inspections, restrictions on opening hours, and suspending or revoking a gambling premises licence if premises are found to be non-complaint with the licensing objectives.
While the Government does not have any plans to review the ‘aim to permit’ provision in the Gambling Act at this time, we recognise that some authorities do not always feel that the tools at their disposal are fully effective in shaping local areas. As outlined in the Pride in Place Strategy, the Government will boost local authorities’ existing powers to influence the location and density of gambling outlets by introducing Cumulative Impact Assessments, when parliamentary time allows. This will give licensing authorities powers to determine whether the cumulative impact of the number or density of gambling premises in a local area undermines the licensing objectives, particularly in areas that have been identified as vulnerable to gambling-related harms.