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PRESS RELEASE: Gambling Related Harm APPG launches new inquiry into online gambling

The Gambling Related Harm APPG has today (11 February) launched its new inquiry, assessing the harms caused by online gambling and looking at remedies and recommendations to address these.

The newly formed group are concerned about the emerging evidence and recent discussions around the potential risks of online gambling.

The inquiry will examine the full impact of online gambling, the addictive and potentially harmful nature of some of the products on offer and their effect on the vulnerable, in particular, children.  It will also explore the effectiveness of age and identity verification mechanisms as well as efficacy of self-exclusion schemes and current provisions for problem and at-risk gamblers.

The group is now asking for written evidence from the public, organisations, industry bodies and academics, on the terms of reference, by 14th March.

The group will also be holding a series of oral evidence sessions commencing in March. Further details of these sessions will be published shortly.

Carolyn Harris MP and Chair of the Fixed Odds Betting Terminals All Party Parliamentary Group said:

“According to recent reports of British gambling behaviour, the prevalence of problem gambling among those who gamble online is similar to those who played FOBTs. Naturally, following our successful campaign to reduce the harm caused by FOBTs, online gambling became the next area of serious concern.

“Our group has received numerous correspondence from individuals and families harmed by online gambling and has already been informed about the ploy by bookmakers to lure would-be FOBT players online.

“We are deeply concerned about the harms caused by online gambling and particularly the impact and harm of online gambling on children.

“Following this inquiry, we will be setting out a number of policy changes and recommendations to tackle this issue.”

  • End

Further information on the All Party Group can be found at www.grh-appg.com

Notes to Editors

  1. The Gambling Related Harm All Party Parliamentary Group has been created to provide a forum for discussion and further investigation into the impact of gambling related harm in our communities. This group, powered by the passion of the members in both houses of Parliament on this issue, allows a coordinated effort among politicians of all political parties, to come together to discuss how best to address the issues and harms gambling causes to our communities.
  2. The APPG is seeking written submissions that address the following issues:
  • What are the potential links between online gambling and harmful gambling?
  • Should there be restrictions on the amount individuals can spend on online gambling in a session?
  • What are the effects of the current fund deposit and withdrawal process on problem or at-risk gamblers?
  • Are the self-exclusion provisions currently available to problem and at-risk gamblers sufficient?
  • Should there be stronger measures to verify age and identity of online gambling customers?
  • What are the policy measures Government can put in place to better protect individuals from gambling harm online?
  • Should the Government review the current stake and prizes level online?
  • Does the regulator have sufficient powers to protect individuals from gambling harm online?
  • Are remote gaming and betting companies doing enough to protect at-risk or problem gamblers from harm?
  • What is the impact of social media and online advertising on the amount customers spend online gambling?
  • What are the effects of in-game spending, such as loot boxes, particularly on children, and does it need stronger monitoring or regulation?
  • Should the use of credit cards to gamble online be restricted?
  • Are new measures needed to better protect children from gambling harm?

The GRH APPG invites written evidence from the public, organisations, industry bodies and academics, on the terms of reference by 14th March 2019.

To submit written evidence, please contact the secretariat for the Group: Tosin Adedayo  E: tosin.adedayo@interelgroup.com

Each submission should be in Word format and include a contact name, organisation name, contact email address and telephone number.

The Group will announce its oral evidence sessions, shortly. If you would like to appear before the group, please contact the group secretariat by 27th February 2019 .

For more information, please contact Carolyn Harris MP, the Chair of the Gambling Related Harm All Party Parliamentary Group or the secretariat for the Group:  Tosin.Adedayo@interelgroup.com

Statement from Carolyn Harris on the new £2 FOBT implementation date

The implementation date on the reduced maximum stake of £2 on Fixed Odds Betting Terminals, will be brought forward to April 2019.

Wednesday 14th November 2018

The Government has announced that the implementation date on the reduced maximum stake of £2 on Fixed Odds Betting Terminals (FOBTs), will be brought forward to April 2019. This follows an extensive campaign by the FOBT APPG, led by Iain Duncan Smith MP, Carolyn Harris MP and Ronnie Cowan MP, to bring forward the date from October 2019 as announced in the budget, to April 2019.

Carolyn Harris MP, Chair of the Fixed Odds Betting Terminals All Party Parliamentary Group said:

“I am truly delighted that the Government has finally seen sense and moved the stake cut on Fixed Odds Betting Terminals forward to April 2019. As I, and many many others across all political parties having been saying, this is the right decision to have made. This change will help many vulnerable people and will benefit all our communities.”

Further information on the All Party Group can be found at www.fobt-appg.com

Notes to Editors

1.The Fixed Odds Betting Terminals (FOBT) All Party Parliamentary Group has been created to provide a forum for discussion and further investigation into the impact of FOBTs in our communities. This group, powered by the passion of the members in both houses of Parliament on this issue, allows a coordinated effort among politicians of all political parties, to come together to discuss how best to address the issues that FOBTs are causing to our communities.

2.For more information, please contact Carolyn Harris MP, the Chair of the Fixed Odds Betting Terminals All Party Parliamentary Group or the secretariat for the Group:

Katherine.morgan@interelgroup.com 07973884797

Over 70 cross-party MPs support April 2019 FOBT implementation date

PRESS RELEASE
MONDAY 12 NOVEMBER 2018

Over 70 cross-party MPs support April 2019 FOBT implementation date

A cross-party group of MPs, will today (12 November) table a new clause and a sequence of amendments to the Finance Bill to bring forward the implementation date for Fixed Odds Betting Terminals (FOBTs) to April 2019.

This follows the announcement last month that the Government intends to implement the £2 stake maximum stake on FOBTs by October 2019.

The campaign, led by FOBT APPG members Iain Duncan Smith MP, Carolyn Harris MP, and Ronnie Cowan MP, has significant support across Parliament with over 70 signatories including 25 Conservatives and 4 DUP MPs.

The new clause seeks to force the government to undertake a review looking at the feasibility of bringing forward the date of the introduction of the increase in Remote Gaming Duty (RGD) to April 2019.. At present RGD is due to go up in October 2019 and the stake cut on FOBTs will be made at the same time, as announced in the Budget.

The MPs will also lay amendments which directly seeks to bring forward the FOBT stake cut from £100 to £2 to April 2019, later today.

Rt. Hon. Iain Duncan Smith MP said:
“These proposed amendments to the Finance Bill show the sheer strength of feeling in Parliament on Fixed Odds Betting Terminals. I hope the Government now sees sense and does the right thing by bringing the FOBT stake cut date forward to April 2019. Any later than this would be an abdication of our responsibility to ensure we protect the most vulnerable in our society”

Carolyn Harris MP and Chair of the Fixed Odds Betting Terminals All Party Parliamentary Group said:

“Enough is enough, MPs on all sides of the House are calling on the Government to see sense and bring forward the stake cut for FOBTs to April 2019. The Government’s position is indefensible. They can either accept our amendments or expect to be defeated in the Finance Bill next week. It is a great shame for all concerned that it has come to this.”

Further information on the All Party Group can be found at www.fobt-appg.com

Notes to Editors
1. The Fixed Odds Betting Terminals (FOBT) All Party Parliamentary Group has been created to provide a forum for discussion and further investigation into the impact of FOBTs in our communities. This group, powered by the passion of the members in both houses of Parliament on this issue, allows a coordinated effort among politicians of all political parties, to come together to discuss how best to address the issues that FOBTs are causing to our communities.

2. The MPs will table the following new clause:

Review of remote gambling duty

(1) The Treasury shall undertake a review of the increase in the rate of remote gambling duty introduced in section (Remote gambling duty (rate)) of this Act.
(2) The review shall consider, in particular, the effects of the rate increase on—
(a) the public revenue,
(b) betting shops, and
(c) gambling related harm.
(3) The Treasury review must include independent advice on the feasibility and impact of bringing forward the date of the increase in remote gaming duty to 1 April 2019.
(4) The Treasury review of the effects of the rate increase in remote gambling duty under subsections (2) and (3) must also take into account any effects of reducing to £2 the maximum stake on B2 machine games with effect from 1 April 2019.
(5) The Chancellor of the Exchequer must lay a copy of a report of the review under
this section before the House of Commons no later than 28 days after this Act is passed.”

The full list of signatories to the new clause :
o Carolyn Harris MP
o Rt. Hon. Iain Duncan Smith MP
o Ronnie Cowan MP
o Marcus Fysh MP
o David Jones MP
o Heidi Allen MP
o Priti Patel MP
o Sarah Wollaston MP
o Timothy Loughton MP
o Jacob Rees-Mogg MP
o Tracey Crouch MP
o David Davis MP
o Steve Baker MP
o Charlie Elphike MP
o Andrew Selous MP
o Robert Seely MBE MP
o Johnny Mercer MP
o Justine Greening MP
o Richard Bacon MP
o Stephen Kerr MP
o Michael Fallon MP
o Nicky Morgan MP
o Boris Johnson MP
o Adam Holloway MP
o Zac Goldsmith MP
o Ian Murray MP
o Jo Stevens MP
o Stephen Timms MP
o Judith Cummins MP
o Susan Elan Jones MP
o Martin Whitfield MP
o Clive Efford MP
o Graham Jones MP
o Wes Streeting MP
o Ruth Cadbury MP
o Jenny Chapman MP
o Tonia Antoniazzi MP
o Stephen Doughty MP
o Gareth Snell MP
o Stella Creasy MP
o Diane Johnson MP
o Tulip Siddiq MP
o Chris Bryant MP
o Helen Hayes MP
o Madeline Moon MP
o Stephen Kinnock MP
o Louise Haigh MP
o Dan Jarvis MP
o Jim Shannon MP
o Jefferey Donaldson
o David Simpson
o Gregory Campbell
o Stuart McDonald MP
o Drew Hendry MP
o John McNally MP
o Alison Thewliss MP
o Marion Fellows MP
o David Lindon MP
o Gavin Newlands MP
o Alan Brown MP
o Patricia Gibson MP
o Lisa Cameron MP
o Brendan O’Hara MP
o Angus Brendan MacNeil MP
o Douglas Chapman MP
o Martyn Day MP
o Neil Gray MP
o Tommy Sheppard MP
o Martin Docherty-Hughes MP
o Kirsty Blackman MP
o Stephen Gethins MP
o Chris Stephens MP
o Chris Law MP
o Hannah Bardell MP
o Christine Jardine MP
o Jonathan Edwards MP
o Liz Saville Roberts MP
o Catherine West MP

3. The MPs will table the following sequence of amendments to the Finance Bill:

Amendments

o Clause 61, page 44, line 23, leave out “1 October 2019” and insert “the prescribed date”.
o Clause 61, page 44, line 25, leave out “1 October 2019” and insert “the prescribed date”.
o Clause 61, page 44, line 32, at end insert-
“(4) In this section, “the prescribed date” means the date prescribed in regulations made by statutory instrument by the Secretary of State
(5) The Secretary of State may not make regulations under subsection (4)—
o to prescribe a date before 1 October 2019, and
o unless regulations under section 236 of the Gambling Act 2005 have been made that amend the definition of sub-category B2 gaming machines so as to define such machines as having a maximum charge for use of no more than £2 with effect from a date no later than 1 April 2019.
 (6) In this section, “sub-category B2 gaming machines” has the meaning given in regulation 5(5) of the Categories of Gaming Machine Regulations 2007/2158.”

The full list of signatories to the amendments:
o Carolyn Harris MP
o Rt. Hon. Iain Duncan Smith MP
o Ronnie Cowan MP
o David Jones MP
o Johnny Mercer MP
o Andrew Selous MP
o Priti Patel MP
o Marcus Fysh MP
o Heidi Allen MP
o Tim Loughton MP
o Charlie Elphike MP
o Stephen Kerr MP
o Steve Baker MP
o Tracey Crouch MP
o Jacob Rees Mogg MP
o Boris Johnson MP
o Richard Bacon MP
o Justine Greening MP
o David Davis MP
o Zac Goldsmith MP
o Sarah Wollaston MP
o Nicky Morgan MP
o Robert Seeley MP
o Ian Murray MP
o Jo Stevens MP
o Stephen Timms MP
o Judith Cummins MP
o Susan Elan Jones MP
o Martin Whitfield MP
o Clive Efford MP
o Graham Jones MP
o Wes Streeting MP
o Ruth Cadbury MP
o Jenny Chapman MP
o Tonia Antoniazzi MP
o Stephen Doughty MP
o Gareth Snell MP
o Stella Creasy MP
o Diane Johnson MP
o Tulip Siddiq MP
o Chris Bryant MP
o Helen Hayes MP
o Madeline Moon MP
o Stephen Kinnock MP
o Louise Haigh MP
o Dan Jarvis MP
o Jim Shannon MP
o Jefferey Donaldson
o David Simpson
o Gregory Campbell
o Stuart McDonald MP
o Drew Hendry MP
o John McNally MP
o Alison Thewliss MP
o Marion Fellows MP
o David Lindon MP
o Gavin Newlands MP
o Alan Brown MP
o Patricia Gibson MP
o Lisa Cameron MP
o Brendan O’Hara MP
o Angus Brendan MacNeil MP
o Douglas Chapman MP
o Martyn Day MP
o Neil Gray MP
o Tommy Sheppard MP
o Martin Docherty-Hughes MP
o Kirsty Blackman MP
o Stephen Gethins MP
o Chris Stephens MP
o Chris Law MP
o Hannah Bardell MP
o Christine Jardine MP
o Jonathan Edwards MP
o Liz Saville Roberts MP
o Catherine West MP

4. For more information, please contact Carolyn Harris MP, the Chair of the Fixed Odds Betting Terminals All Party Parliamentary Group or the secretariat for the Group: Katherine.morgan@interelgroup.com 07973884797

Carolyn Harris reacts to the news that the £2 maximum stake will only come into force in October 2019.

Following the Chancellor’s Budget speech, which announced that the implementation date for the maximum £2 FOBT stake will come into force in October 2019 and not April 2019, Carolyn Harris’, Chair of the APPG on the Fixed Odds Betting Terminals said:

“I am appalled by today’s announcement. To delay cutting the stake on FOBTs to October 2019 is wholly unjustifiable. This will lead to many more vulnerable people’s lives being harmed while the bookmakers will continue to make millions from FOBT machines. At the same time Remote Gaming Duty is being set at 21% which is at the lower end of the expected range. The bookmakers must be delighted and we can clearly see where the priorities of this Government lie.”

FOBT APPG PUBLISHES REPORT ON DELAYED IMPLEMENTATION OF £2 FOBT STAKE

Thursday 25th October 2018

FOBT APPG PUBLISHES REPORT ON DELAYED IMPLEMENTATION OF £2 FOBT STAKE

Report finds bookmakers are the only beneficiary of delayed implementation of £2 stake

MPs call on Government to act in the public interest and implement £2 stake immediately

The Fixed Odds Betting Terminal APPG has today ( 25 October) published the findings of its short inquiry looking at the urgent need to implement the £2 stake.

The inquiry was launched, following the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport’s announcement in May that the stake on Fixed Odds Betting Terminals (FOBTs) will be reduced to £2, a decision that the APPG very much welcomed. However, the group was deeply concerned to hear that implementation of this reduced stake may be delayed until 2020.
The report found that:

  • The technical changes to the B2 machines can be done as quickly as three months and if an implementation date, earlier than April 2019 was set, bookmakers and the games manufacturers would be able to make the required changes in time.
  • Bookmakers and games manufacturers are the only beneficiary of a delayed stake reduction to the tune of over £1bn, whilst the Treasury and wider society would see net losses, particularly in the most deprived communities.
  • Contrary to arguments put forward by the bookmakers, stake reduction could in fact lead to job creation. A recent report by the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr) found that £100 million in GVA contributions to GDP could be lost in net terms for each year of delay in implementation, and could therefore lead to a delay in the realisation of a potential net boost in employment of about 2,800 jobs in far more profitable areas of employment.

The report notes that the most important reason for immediate stake reduction is a moral one, it describes it as an issue of social justice which must be resolved. It concludes that it is morally reprehensible that the Government is propping up its finances through taking revenue from FOBTs which in turn take money often from those who can least afford it.
Furthermore, with the Government proposing to increase Remote Gaming Duty from April 2019, it is not morally justifiable to continue to gain revenue from FOBTs for a further year when an alternative revenue stream will have been put in place.

The FOBT APPG, chaired by Carolyn Harris MP, heard from a range of key witnesses including the Minster for Gambling, Tracey Crouch MP, the Executive Director of the Gambling Commission, the Church of England, Games

Manufacturers and most powerfully of all from the families of those who had taken their own lives due to gambling and FOBT addictions.

Carolyn Harris , Chair of FOBT APPG said:

“During this enquiry, we heard first-hand about the tragedies caused by these machines.

“From the evidence we heard, it is clear to us that the bookmakers are being misleading and disingenuous to claim such a long time is required to make the technical changes to FOBT machines. Clearly the profit they make from FOBTs provides an incentive to delay the reduction as long as possible.

“The harm being caused by FOBTs cannot go on. It is now time for the Government to do the right thing.

“It is time for it to stop bending to the will of a large corporate interest, namely the bookmakers, and implement a £2 stake on Fixed Odds Betting Terminals now.”
Further information on the All Party Group can be found at www.fobt-appg.com

Notes to Editors
1. The Fixed Odds Betting Terminals (FOBT) All Party Parliamentary Group has been created to provide a forum for discussion and further investigation into the impact of FOBTs in our communities. This group, powered by the passion of the members in both houses of Parliament on this issue, allows a coordinated effort among politicians of all political parties, to come together to discuss how best to address the issues that FOBTs are causing to our communities.
2. For more information, please contact Carolyn Harris MP, the Chair of the Fixed Odds Betting Terminals All Party Parliamentary Group or the secretariat for the Group: Tosin Adedayo tosin.adedayo@interelgroup.com T: 020 7592 3825
3. The full list of APPG members are:

  • Carolyn Harris MP (Chair)
  • Iain Duncan Smith MP (Vice – Chair)
  • Lord Chadlington (Vice – Chair)
  • Ronnie Cowan MP (Vice – Chair)
  • Stuart McDonald MP
  • Stephen Timms MP
  • Neil Parish MP
  • Sir Peter Bottomley MP
  • Liz McInnes MP
  • Graham Jones MP
  • Ruth Cadbury MP
  • Hannah Bardell MP
  • Jeremy Beecham MP
  • Ian Blackford MP
  • Kirsty Blackman MP
  • Fiona Bruce MP
  • Sir Vince Cable MP
  • Lisa Cameron MP
  • Lord Clement Jones
  • David Crausby MP
  • Wayne David MP
  • Judith Cummins MP
  • Lord Dholakia MP
  • Lord Foster of Bath
  • Louise Haigh MP
  • David Lammy MP
  • Jeremy Lefroy MP
  • David Linden MP
  • Jonathan Lord MP
  • Liz McInnes MP
  • Jim McMahon MP
  • Jim Shannon MP
  • Alan Smith MP
  • Jeff Smith MP
  • Alison Thewliss MP
  • Charles Walker MP
  • Sammy Wilson MP

Please click here to download a copy of the FOBT APPG Inquiry Report