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

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of The Lancet Public Health Commission on gambling, published on 24 October; and what plans they have to respond.

The Government is committed to strengthening protections to ensure that people can continue to enjoy gambling, without the risks that can ensue from harmful gambling. We are acutely aware of the impact harmful gambling can have on individuals and their families. We are committed to reviewing the best available evidence from a wide range of sources and working with all stakeholders in order to support the industry and ensure there are robust protections in place to protect those at risk, and we have noted the Lancet Public Health Commission’s report. We will provide further updates to the House soon.

The Gambling Commission’s Gambling Survey of Great Britain collects official statistics on gambling behaviour in Great Britain including participation rates of bet in play and participation rates and Problem Gambling Survey Index scores for online instant win games (online and in person), betting on sports and racing (online and in person) and fruit and slots games (online and in person).

The Gambling Commission is responsible for the implementation of a number of the regulatory reforms set out in the white paper, such as introducing new regulations to make online games safer. This has included introducing a limit on spin speeds for online slots games in 2021, with additional rules coming into force from January 2025 to reduce the speed and intensity of online products.