Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if he will ensure that the Gambling Act Review (a) focuses on empowering customers, (b) does not propose blanket measures that punish the responsible majority, that does not help people at risk and risks pushing people away from the regulated sector and (c) focuses on tailored measures based on evidence.

The Review of the Gambling Act 2005 was launched on 8 December 2020. As set out in the Terms of Reference, the Review is wide-ranging in scope and will be evidence-led. The Call for Evidence will run until 31 March 2021, and we are seeking evidence from a broad range of interested groups and stakeholders.

The Review aims to ensure that the Gambling Act is fit for the digital age, and offers an opportunity to make sure that we have the balance right between protecting vulnerable people from gambling related harm, and respecting the freedom of adults to choose how they spend their money and leisure time.

The Gambling Commission’s consultation and call for evidence on Remote Customer Interaction discusses the important issues of identifying consumers in vulnerable situations and assessing affordability. The consultation and call for evidence responses will inform the Commission’s next steps for setting Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice. It may also inform the Gambling Commission’s advice to government on the Review of the Gambling Act 2005.