Gambling Reform Debate
Full Debate: Read Full DebateLord Jones of Cheltenham
Main Page: Lord Jones of Cheltenham (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)Department Debates - View all Lord Jones of Cheltenham's debates with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport
(3 years, 5 months ago)
Lords ChamberThe noble Lord is right, and we have made it a priority. He will be pleased to know that the biggest category of responses to the consultation was in relation to protecting children. He will be aware that we recently held consultations on the appeal of gambling adverts to children and vulnerable people in particular.
When my noble friend Lord Foster and I were elected to another place on the same night in 1992, I suspect neither of us imagined we would come across so many lives devastated by gambling. I switched on the TV today at 9.30 am, not to a programme but to a betting advert. Can we have a watershed, so those adverts are not shown on TV before, say, 9 pm?
The aim of the current regulation around gambling advertising focuses particularly on making sure that adverts are not attractive to children and vulnerable people, but, as I mentioned in answer to an earlier question, that is being consulted on at the moment.