Asked by The Lord Bishop of St Albans To ask Her Majesty’s
Government what assessment they have made of the social costs of
fixed-odds betting terminals. Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen (Con) My
Lords, the consultation on gaming machines and social
responsibility measures closed on 23 January, and all...Request free trial
Asked by
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To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have
made of the social costs of fixed-odds betting terminals.
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My Lords, the consultation on gaming machines and social
responsibility measures closed on 23 January, and all
responses are currently being considered. An impact
assessment was published alongside the consultation in
October and any additional evidence submitted, including
on social costs related to FOBTs, will be taken into
consideration. It was made clear at consultation that the
stakes on FOBTs would be reduced, and the final position
will be published in due course.
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My Lords, these particular machines are a modern-day
scourge which create misery and deepen poverty.
Unemployed people are more likely to play these games
than any other group. Citizens Advice has shown that, for
every addict, six to 10 other adults are directly and
adversely affected. The children and families of addicts
are simply bewildered at the Gambling Commission’s
suggestion that a stake of up to £30 might be acceptable.
Will the noble Baroness assure the House that the needs
of the vulnerable will be placed above concerns about
either tax revenue or the gambling lobby, and that a £2
stake is the only answer?
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I agree with the right reverend Prelate. Addiction to
gambling has far-reaching, distressing outcomes, as we
all know. We have made it clear that FOBT stakes will be
cut. We are taking into account all relevant responses
and evidence, and we will come to a decision soon. I am
not aware that my right honourable friend the Chancellor
has suggested that we cannot make cuts to FOBTs because
of revenue.
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My Lords, there is no doubt that the £1.8 billion that
FOBTs generate for the gambling industry is a
consideration. Like many noble Lords, I am extremely
disappointed at the response of the Gambling Commission,
which seems to have responded more to the needs of the
gambling industry than the needs of our communities.
These machines are roulette tables in every high street,
where some can place £50 stakes every second or so,
generating huge amounts of debt. In times past, we had
strict controls and regulations on casinos; now it is all
open. It is time that the Government responded. The
Gambling Commission response does not abrogate the
Government’s responsibilities to tackle this issue.
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I agree with what the noble Lord says. We want to see a
healthy gambling industry that responsibly generates
investment and employment, but that must not be at the
cost of those who are most vulnerable. Indeed, the
consultation on changes to gaming machines and social
responsibility was launched on 31 October and closed on
23 January, and we are now considering the responses
before publishing our response. The Gambling Commission’s
is only one of the responses that we will be looking at.
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My Lords, is it not the case that, if you are on the
national minimum wage earning £7.50 an hour, in a 40-hour
week you can generate £300? I am under the impression
that, with a £30 stake on these machines, you could bet
that entire sum in under four minutes. Is that an
acceptable thing to have in every high street?
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We must remember that the Gambling Commission said that
it wanted it to be £30 or below. We are looking at all
the responses, and I cannot stand here and say what level
we will make it. It is not set in stone that it is going
to be £30; it might be much lower than that. We have to
wait until we have taken all relevant decisions and
looked at all the responses before we come to a final
decision.
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My Lords, does the noble Baroness recall that, in the
debate in your Lordships’ House initiated by the noble
Lord, Lord Browne, right across the House there was
agreement that the stake should be at around £2, not 15
times higher, as recommended by the Gambling Commission?
Will the Minister confirm that half of the £1.8 billion
revenue last year came from these fixed-odds machines and
that the Gambling Commission found that last year that
43% of users were from problem or high-risk households,
many along the lines that were just described by the
noble Lord?
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Yes, I agree with the noble Lord. I feel that I am not
being very helpful, because I cannot really give any
definite answers because we have not come to a decision
yet. As I said earlier, we are taking all the responses
into account. We have had 7,000 responses to the review,
and we are looking at them. The department takes this
issue very seriously, and we will come out with a
decision soon.
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My Lords, I thank the Minster for putting on record the
length of time the Government are taking, and I thank the
right reverend Prelate for raising this matter. No one
could condone addiction to gambling, but I urge the
Government to consider the role of betting shops in
market towns such as Thirsk, Ripon, Malton and Filey
where, particularly on race days, they bring a lot of
trade to the economy and provide many jobs locally in
rural areas.
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My noble friend is right. That is why we have to be
careful when we decide what we are going to do, so that
we see a healthy gambling industry, but it has got to be
responsible. We know it generates investment and
employment, but that must not be at the cost of the most
vulnerable.
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My Lords, does the noble Baroness accept that fixed-odds
betting is encouraging a culture of something for
nothing, that it is an odious practice, that it serves no
social utility and that we would be better off—I am
sceptical even about a £2 limit—were it to be abolished
as a practice in Great Britain?
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We are looking at everything. It is interesting that the
Gambling Commission said:
“A reduction in maximum stakes on B2 gaming machines
could”,
be useful as,
“part of a coherent strategy to reduce harm, provided the
effects are carefully monitored and evaluated”.
There has got to be a joined-up approach. We know that
FOBTs are a problem, and we are looking at them. There
are others areas of gambling that are also a problem, and
we are looking at the whole area of gambling.
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