Gambling - Consultation on proposals for changes to Gaming Machines and Social Responsibility Measures

Last year the Government launched a review of gaming machines and social responsibility measures which commenced with a call for evidence.

This morning the DCMS published a consultation covering proposals relating to:

• Maximum stakes and prizes for all categories of gaming machines permitted under the Gambling Act 2005;
• Allocations of gaming machines permitted in all licensed premises under the Gambling Act 2005;
• Social responsibility measures for the industry as a whole to minimise the risk of gambling-related harm, including on gambling advertising, online gambling, gaming machines and research, education and treatment (RET).

The headline proposal is to reduce the size of the maximum stake, looking at options between £50 and £2 (options include £50, £30, £20 and £2), in order “to reduce the potential for large session losses and therefore to potentially harmful impacts on players and their wider communities”.

The accompanying written ministerial statement (by Tracey Crouch Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the DCMS) includes the following statement:

“…We believe that the current regulation of B2 gaming machines is inappropriate to achieve our stated objective of protecting consumers and wider communities. We are therefore consulting on regulatory changes to the maximum stake, looking at options between £50 and £2, in order to reduce the potential for large session losses and therefore to the potentially harmful impact on the player and their wider communities.

While the industry proposes increases to the remaining stakes and prizes, and permitted numbers and allocations across other categories of machine (B1, B3, B3A, B4, C and D gaming machines), we believe retention of the current regulatory environment will better protect players from potential harm than industry’s proposed increases.

We are aware that the factors which influence the extent of harm to the player are wider than one product, or a limited set of parameters such as stakes and prizes, and include factors around the player, the environment and the product. We are therefore also consulting on corresponding social responsibility measures across gaming machines that enable high rates of loss, on player protections in the online sector, on a package of measures on gambling advertising and on current arrangements for the delivery of research, education and treatment (RET). Within this package, we want to see industry, regulator and charities continue to drive the social responsibility agenda, to ensure all is being done to protect players without the need for further Government intervention, and that those in trouble can access the treatment and support they need.”

The Consultation and accompanying Impact Assessment statement documents can be found here

Responses to the Consultation can be made:

• online
• via email to gamblingreviewconsultation2017@culture.gov.uk; or
• by writing to Gambling review consultation, Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport, 100 Parliament Street, London, SW1A 2BQ

The consultation will close on 23 January 2018.