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

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have assessed the impact of fixed-odds betting terminals on local economic growth; and if so, whether that assessment has shown any harm to the economy resulting from the use of such machines.

The impact assessment, published alongside the consultation on gaming machines and social responsibility measures, includes qualitative analysis regarding wider economic effects and the impact on individuals and communities of gaming machines, including Fixed-Odds Betting Terminals. The framework for analysis in the impact assessment takes into account some isolated economic effects in other gambling markets but does not attempt to look at the effects on the rest of the economy (general equilibrium) because doing so would be disproportionate relative to the size of the policy impacts expected. We received further evidence on costs and benefits in response to the consultation and an updated impact assessment will be published with the Government’s final proposals.