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Charlie Dewhirst
Main Page: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)Department Debates - View all Charlie Dewhirst's debates with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport
Oral Answers to Questions
Charlie Dewhirst Excerpts(1 day, 9 hours ago)
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Charlie Dewhirst (Bridlington and The Wolds) (Con)
In his Budget speech, the Chancellor pledged to protect seaside arcades, but the increase in the machine games duty from 20% to 25% threatens businesses in my constituency, such as Leisureland on Bridlington seafront, which I had the pleasure of visiting last week. Will the Minister make representations to the Treasury to ensure that we protect those brilliant local businesses?
Vicky Foxcroft
I thank the hon. Gentleman for advocating on behalf of his constituents. Slot games have a higher associated risk of harm than other in-person gambling activities, such as sports betting or bingo games. That is why the Government are increasing the rate of machine games duty from 20% to 25% on machines with stakes over £1 or prizes over £100 from 1 April 2027. There will be no change to the rate for lower-stakes machines, but I am happy to meet the hon. Gentleman to discuss the issue further.