Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, for what reasons the implementation period for the B2 stake reduction is now expected to take longer than the 9 to 12 months set out in the Impact Assessment published alongside the Government’s recent consultation response on proposals to changes to Gaming Machines and Social Responsibility Measures.
Carolyn Harris MP, Labour
Minister answering: Tracey Crouch MP
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport what steps his Department is taking to prevent harm to vulnerable people until the £2 stake reduction for fixed-odds betting terminals is introduced. 155335
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, for what reasons the implementation period for the B2 stake reduction is now expected to take longer than the 9 to 12 months set out in the Impact Assessment published alongside the Government’s recent consultation response on proposals to changes to Gaming Machines and Social Responsibility Measures. 155337
ANSWER
The Gambling Commission regulates the industry according to the licensing objectives, which include protecting children and other vulnerable persons from being harmed or exploited by gambling. It protects gambling customers and the wider public from harm through its licence conditions and codes of practice and compliance and enforcement activity
The Government published its response to the consultation on proposed changes to gaming machines and social responsibility measures on 17 May. As well as the stake reduction on B2 machines, the consultation response included a package of measures that will strengthen protections around gaming machines, online gambling, gambling advertising and treatment for problem gamblers, for which work is already under way. The measures include:
The Government will deliver the reduction in stake through secondary legislation in due course. We are currently preparing draft regulations needed to make the change, alongside engaging with the gambling industry to ensure they are given sufficient time to implement and complete the technological changes for the reduction in maximum stake for Fixed-Odds Betting Terminals.