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

To ask Her Majesty's Government what analysis they have undertaken of the extent and nature of gambling among children and young people; and where any such analysis is published.

Protecting children and vulnerable people from being harmed or exploited by gambling is a core objective of the regulation of gambling in Great Britain, and a priority for the government.

Operators offering gambling services to people in Great Britain must have a licence from the Gambling Commission and must have effective policies and procedures designed to prevent underage gambling. Where there is a failure to prevent underage gambling, the Gambling Commission has a range of powers to act, including regulatory and/or criminal action.

The Government's Review of Gaming Machines and Social Responsibility Measures, published in May 2018, set out measures to increase existing protections around gaming machines, online gambling and gambling advertising. These included new guidance from the Committees of Advertising Practice on protecting children and young people, and stricter age verification controls for online gambling operators. The response can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/consultation-on-proposals-for-changes-to-gaming-machines-and-social-responsibility-measures

The Gambling Commission carries out an annual survey of gambling behaviour among 11-16 year olds in Great Britain, which gives an estimate of rates of participation in gambling activities and problem gambling. The most recent report was published in November 2018. This can be found here: https://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/pdf/survey-data/young-people-and-gambling-2018-report.pdf

A report from the Responsible Gambling Strategy Board (RGSB, now called Advisory Board for Safer Gambling, ABSG), expert advisers to the Gambling Commission, and the Gambling Commission’s response can also be found here: https://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/PDF/RGSB-Gambling-and-children-and-young-people-2018.pdf

https://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/PDF/Gambling-and-children-and-young-people-response-2018.pdf