The Gambling Act Review is a priority for the department. We will publish a White Paper with our conclusions in the coming months.

The Government recognises the important role banks and other financial services can play in supporting efforts to tackle gambling related harm. On gambling blocks, I am pleased that many banks have acted to offer their customers the option to block debit card transactions to licensed gambling operators, which is estimated to now be available for approximately 90% of UK current accounts.

The Government welcomes this progress and continues to work together with industry to identify what more can be done in this area. As such, I will shortly co-convene a roundtable with the Minister for Technology and the Digital Economy to look at opportunities for additional progress which further support UK consumers.

The Government is reviewing the Gambling Act 2005 to make sure it is fit for the digital age. This is taking a close look at the effectiveness of existing protections for gamblers in preventing harm and how these could be improved. The Department for Digital, Culture Media and Sport is considering the evidence carefully and aim to publish a white paper outlining any conclusions and proposals for reform in due course.

The Review of the Gambling Act 2005 was launched on 8 December with a wide-ranging Call for Evidence, which closed on 31 March. We received c.16,000 submissions to the Call for Evidence from a range of stakeholders and members of the public. We are considering all submissions carefully and aim to publish a white paper outlining any conclusions and proposals for reform by the end of the year.

The Review of the Gambling Act 2005 was launched on 8 December 2020 with a wide-ranging Call for Evidence, which closed on 31 March. We received c.16,000 submissions to the Call for Evidence from a range of stakeholders and members of the public. We are committed to undertaking a thorough, evidence-led review and are carefully considering the submissions we received. While the government does not routinely publish responses to Calls for Evidence, we aim to publish a white paper by the end of the year which will set out clearly the evidence on which it draws and our analysis. It will also include a list of respondents to the call for evidence, subject to compliance with rules on data protection.

The Government recognises the need to reform the current duty system to support the alcoholic drinks and pubs sector in the longer term and that there is a case for simplifying the current complicated system, making the basis of alcohol taxation more economically rational, and reducing the administrative burden on producers.

The Secretary of State and I have met a number of stakeholder groups ahead of the Gambling Act Review. This includes a meeting with the Gambling Commission’s Interim Experts by Experience forum, a group of people who have suffered a wide range of gambling harms, including recovering gambling addicts, family and partners of addicts, and those who have lost children to gambling suicides. The Minister for Sport, Tourism and Heritage also met the founders of Gambling With Lives in the summer. Ministers have additionally met parliamentary groups such as the Gambling Related Harm All Party Parliamentary Group, the Parliamentary All-Party Betting & Gaming Group, and Peers for Gambling Reform, as well as with representatives of the gambling industry. Details of Ministerial meetings are published quarterly on the government’s website at: https://www.gov.uk/search/transparency-and-freedom-of-information-releases?content_store_document_type=transparency&organisations%5B%5D=department-for-digital-culture-media-sport.

The government committed to a review of the Gambling Act 2005 in the 2019 manifesto to ensure that it is fit for the digital age and further details will be announced in due course, including on how we will gather evidence and consult.

The Secretary of State and I have met a number of stakeholder groups ahead of the Gambling Act Review. This includes a meeting with the Gambling Commission’s Interim Experts by Experience forum, a group of people who have suffered a wide range of gambling harms, including recovering gambling addicts, family and partners of addicts, and those who have lost children to gambling suicides. The Minister for Sport, Tourism and Heritage also met the founders of Gambling With Lives in the summer. Ministers have additionally met parliamentary groups such as the Gambling Related Harm All Party Parliamentary Group, the Parliamentary All-Party Betting & Gaming Group, and Peers for Gambling Reform, as well as with representatives of the gambling industry. Details of Ministerial meetings are published quarterly on the government’s website at: https://www.gov.uk/search/transparency-and-freedom-of-information-releases?content_store_document_type=transparency&organisations%5B%5D=department-for-digital-culture-media-sport.

The government committed to a review of the Gambling Act 2005 in the 2019 manifesto to ensure that it is fit for the digital age and further details will be announced in due course, including on how we will gather evidence and consult.

The Secretary of State and I have met a number of stakeholder groups ahead of the Gambling Act Review. This includes a meeting with the Gambling Commission’s Interim Experts by Experience forum, a group of people who have suffered a wide range of gambling harms, including recovering gambling addicts, family and partners of addicts, and those who have lost children to gambling suicides. The Minister for Sport, Tourism and Heritage also met the founders of Gambling With Lives in the summer. Ministers have additionally met parliamentary groups such as the Gambling Related Harm All Party Parliamentary Group, the Parliamentary All-Party Betting & Gaming Group, and Peers for Gambling Reform, as well as with representatives of the gambling industry. Details of Ministerial meetings are published quarterly on the government’s website at: https://www.gov.uk/search/transparency-and-freedom-of-information-releases?content_store_document_type=transparency&organisations%5B%5D=department-for-digital-culture-media-sport.

The government committed to a review of the Gambling Act 2005 in the 2019 manifesto to ensure that it is fit for the digital age and further details will be announced in due course, including on how we will gather evidence and consult.

The government committed in its manifesto to review the Gambling Act 2005 to ensure it is fit for the digital age. Further details will be announced in due course.

The Gambling Commission is the independent regulator for the gambling industry. As part of this role it continually monitors the gambling market for risks to consumers, drawing on a wide range of intelligence sources as well as conducting a quarterly survey of gambling behaviours. It provides both formal and informal advice to government on a range of issues and will continue to do so throughout the forthcoming Gambling Review, including on issues such as stakes and prizes. I understand that the Chief Executive of the Gambling Commission wrote to you recently to provide an update on its work around online player protections.

The Commission will shortly publish a Strategic Risk Assessment setting out the current risks to consumers and the public and its priorities to address them. The Government will draw on this and other evidence about gambling participation and behaviour to inform and provide a baseline for the Gambling Act Review.

The government committed in its manifesto to review the Gambling Act 2005 to ensure it is fit for the digital age. Further details will be announced in due course.

The Gambling Commission is the independent regulator for the gambling industry. As part of this role it continually monitors the gambling market for risks to consumers, drawing on a wide range of intelligence sources as well as conducting a quarterly survey of gambling behaviours. It provides both formal and informal advice to government on a range of issues and will continue to do so throughout the forthcoming Gambling Review, including on issues such as stakes and prizes. I understand that the Chief Executive of the Gambling Commission wrote to you recently to provide an update on its work around online player protections.

The Commission will shortly publish a Strategic Risk Assessment setting out the current risks to consumers and the public and its priorities to address them. The Government will draw on this and other evidence about gambling participation and behaviour to inform and provide a baseline for the Gambling Act Review.

The government committed in its manifesto to review the Gambling Act 2005 to ensure it is fit for the digital age. Further details will be announced in due course.

The Gambling Commission is the independent regulator for the gambling industry. As part of this role it continually monitors the gambling market for risks to consumers, drawing on a wide range of intelligence sources as well as conducting a quarterly survey of gambling behaviours. It provides both formal and informal advice to government on a range of issues and will continue to do so throughout the forthcoming Gambling Review, including on issues such as stakes and prizes. I understand that the Chief Executive of the Gambling Commission wrote to you recently to provide an update on its work around online player protections.

The Commission will shortly publish a Strategic Risk Assessment setting out the current risks to consumers and the public and its priorities to address them. The Government will draw on this and other evidence about gambling participation and behaviour to inform and provide a baseline for the Gambling Act Review.

The government committed in its manifesto to review the Gambling Act 2005 to make sure it is fit for the digital age. This commitment remains a priority, but as with other areas of government business the impact of Covid-19 has placed unforeseen pressures on the Department. We are continuing to work closely with the Gambling Commission, including on ensuring that vulnerable people are protected in this time of potentially heightened risk. A timeline for the review will be announced in due course.

Ministers and officials have regular meetings with stakeholders on a range of issues. Details of Ministerial meetings are published quarterly on the government’s website at: https://www.gov.uk/search/transparency-and-freedom-of-information-releases?content_store_document_type=transparency&organisations%5B%5D=department-for-digital-culture-media-sport

The evidence regarding gambling advertising was examined as part of the government’s Review of Gaming Machines and Social Responsibility Measures. The government’s response can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/consultation-on-proposals-for-changes-to-gaming-machines-and-social-responsibility-measures

The government has committed to a review of the Gambling Act 2005 to make sure it is fit for the digital age. Further details will be announced in due course.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 5 June 2015 to Question UIN 170.