Select committee: Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee
Recommendation 14
Second Report - Gambling regulation
Published 21 Dec 2023
Paragraph 84
Addressed to Department for Culture, Media and Sport
Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee Gambling regulation All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Recommendation (the committee's words)
While the existing evidence base does not show a causative link between gambling advertising and harm, it seems clear that advertising encourages participation in gambling and that this effect is more pronounced for children and those vulnerable to gambling harm. Though the White Paper’s proposals regarding direct marketing and promotional offers are welcome, the Government should have taken a more precautionary approach to gambling advertising in general—particularly to minimise children’s exposure. We do not consider that a complete ban on gambling advertising would be appropriate, but this still leaves scope for further regulation beyond that proposed by the Government.
From: Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee, Second Report - Gambling regulation (HC 176), paragraph 84, 21 December 2023
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 19 April 2024 (deadline 19 April 2024).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government welcomes the Committee's report and says the white paper's measures will be implemented quickly, through secondary legislation, existing powers and voluntary industry action rather than a standalone Bill.
- On online slots, it has confirmed a statutory maximum stake of £5 per spin for those aged 25 and over and £2 for 18 to 24-year-olds, which it says align with the Committee's recommended range of £2 to £5. These take effect in September, following Parliamentary approval.
- On financial risk checks, it is committed to a "proportionate, frictionless system". The Gambling Commission will run a pilot for enhanced risk assessments, launching this summer, and will publish its consultation response "in due course".
- On point-of-sale information about product risk, it "notes" the recommendation and says existing risk-measurement models are not "sufficiently granular". It prefers design rules applying to all games, while a Department of Health and Social Care evidence review will inform new messaging.
- On the statutory levy, it says it remains "on track" to introduce it by secondary legislation "by this summer". It will publish its consultation response "in the coming weeks".