Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has had recent discussions with Cabinet colleagues on investigations of gambling-related suicides.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
His Majesty’s Government recognises that, while millions of people gamble without experiencing problems, for some it becomes an addiction with serious consequences. It is particularly important to take steps to protect those, particularly young people, who are at risk of experiencing gambling harm.
In April 2023 the Department for Culture, Media and Sport published a White Paper following our review of the Gambling Act 2005. The White Paper outlined a series of measures to tackle practices and products which can drive harm and to ensure that people who are at risk of gambling harm and addiction are protected, including a commitment to introduce a new statutory levy paid by operators to fund research, prevention, and treatment. We are working at pace with the Gambling Commission to bring these measures into force as quickly as possible.
In October 2023 the Gambling Commission published its decision to introduce a specific reporting requirement requiring gambling businesses to inform the Commission when they become aware of a person who has gambled with them has died by suicide. This requirement will come into force on 1 April 2024. While it is the role of the Coroner to investigate such death, where the Commission is made aware that a customer of a licensee has died by suicide, it will consider whether there is evidence of suspected regulatory failings and whether it would be appropriate and proportionate to take any regulatory action.
Correspondence Nov. 21 2023
Committee: Culture, Media and Sport Committee (Department: Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport)Found: Letter from Dan Waugh, Partner, Regulus Partners, relating to statistics on gambling and suicide, dated
Mentions:
1: Tweed, Evelyn (SNP - Stirling) That was great—thank you.I want to ask Rob Gowans about gambling and debt. - Speech Link
2: None We know that there is a strong link between people who have experienced gambling harm and suicide—it - Speech Link
3: None I will come in on the gambling issue. - Speech Link
Mentions:
1: Lord Foster of Bath (LD - Life peer) very little action in respect of gambling advertising.The Gambling Act 2005 liberalised gambling advertising - Speech Link
2: Lord Smith of Hindhead (Con - Life peer) Problem gambling rises each year; advertising spend on gambling rises each year; and gambling among young - Speech Link
3: Lord Bishop of Derby (Bshp - Bishops) gamblers as at greater risk of dying from any cause and significantly increased risk of dying from suicide - Speech Link
Mentions:
1: Ronnie Cowan (SNP - Inverclyde) Advertising increases the gambling industry revenue. Advertising normalises gambling. - Speech Link
2: Paul Blomfield (Lab - Sheffield Central) According to the Gambling Commission, 80,000 UK children are addicted to gambling or at risk of gambling - Speech Link
3: Gavin Newlands (SNP - Paisley and Renfrewshire North) We have heard already that more than one person a day commits suicide in the UK because of gambling-related - Speech Link
4: Ronnie Cowan (SNP - Inverclyde) I am sure that in some cases individuals have committed suicide because of their gambling addiction. - Speech Link
Special Report Apr. 19 2024
Committee: Culture, Media and Sport Committee (Department: Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport)Found: Sixth Special - Gambling regulation: Government Response to the Committee’s Second Report HC 698 Special
May. 16 2024
Source Page: Age limits introduced to protect children in RSHEFound: James Grimes, Head of Prevention at Gambling with Lives said: We welcome this guidance as DfE is clearly
Mentions:
1: None I work in suicide research and have a specialism in LGBTQ+ suicide and suicide prevention. - Speech Link
2: None factor that is emerging there.We are also doing work with my colleague Heather Wardle at Glasgow on gambling - Speech Link
Mentions:
1: Christina Rees (LAB - Neath) gambling in Britain. - Speech Link
2: Carolyn Harris (Lab - Swansea East) Safer Gambling” logos and promoting safer gambling week. - Speech Link
3: Philip Davies (Con - Shipley) Gentleman has repeated this line that over 400 people a year die of suicide as a result of gambling—a - Speech Link
4: Ronnie Cowan (SNP - Inverclyde) many of those Members sitting in front of grieving parents whose child has been driven to complete suicide - Speech Link
5: Ronnie Cowan (SNP - Inverclyde) What price the number of people who have been driven to complete suicide? - Speech Link
Mentions:
1: Gibson, Kenneth (SNP - Cunninghame North) sponsors, resulted in 716 gambling exposures over the course of the game.As members of the Scottish - Speech Link
2: Balfour, Jeremy (Con - Lothian) Commission and academia as low risk and quite distinct from the commercial gambling sector. - Speech Link
3: Allan, Alasdair (SNP - Na h-Eileanan an Iar) The lotteries therefore pose a very low risk of gambling-related harm to players. - Speech Link
4: Callaghan, Stephanie (SNP - Uddingston and Bellshill) as homelessness, crime, fractured relationships and mental health problems; it even contributes to suicide - Speech Link
5: Roddick, Emma (SNP - Highlands and Islands) than the potentially harmful forms of gambling that are not subject to the same limit. - Speech Link