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

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what analysis his Department has commissioned (a) within and (b) outside of his Department on the effect of gambling advertising on (i) the general population (ii) people under the age of 18.

Our Review of Gaming Machines and Social Responsibility looked at the evidence and protections around gambling advertising. A major survey of evidence by Per Binde, published in 2014, found the impact of advertising on the prevalence problem gambling was likely to be rather small, as one factor among many which make up the environment, although it identified areas for further research. Significant research has been commissioned by GambleAware into the impact of gambling advertising on children, young people and those vulnerable to harm. This is due to be completed next year.

The Gambling Commission carries out an annual survey of gambling behaviour among 11-16 year olds in Great Britain. In 2016 and 2017 this found that there was little evidence of a direct influence of advertising on gambling activity, with 1% of young people in the survey saying advertising prompted them to start gambling or increase the amount they gamble.