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<p><del class="ministerial">The government launched a call for evidence on loot boxes
on 23 September 2020 to seek detailed information on the impact of loot boxes on players,
particularly children and young people. The call for evidence will run until 22 November
2020 and will examine concerns that loot boxes may encourage gambling-like behaviour
and lead to problem gambling, as well as examining the size and scale of the loot
box market in the UK, and the impact of current voluntary and statutory protections.</del></p><p><del
class="ministerial">The government stands ready to take action should the outcomes
of the call for evidence support taking a new approach to ensure users, and particularly
young people, are better protected.</del></p><p><ins class="ministerial">Since 1999
rates of problem gambling have been measured through the three British Gambling Prevalence
Surveys and subsequently in the Health Surveys for Scotland and England and the Gambling
Commission’s survey of gambling behaviour in Wales. The proportion of the adult population
of Great Britain who are considered to be problem gamblers has remained stable at
below 1% since the first survey in 1999. The government has committed to review the
Gambling Act 2005 to make sure it is fit for the digital age and more details will
be announced in due course. </ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial">As set out in answer
to Question 82541, there has been no assessment of the longer term trends in rates
of gambling related suicide. Determining factors related to individual deaths by suicide
is difficult and complicated, but we know that there may be wider lifestyle factors
associated with problem gambling that may link to poor mental health, and that problem
gambling can create a cycle of debt that can also have a significant impact on mental
health and wellbeing. In extreme cases it may lead to thoughts of suicide.</ins></p><p><ins
class="ministerial">The Government committed to addressing suicide risk and gambling
in the latest progress report to the National Suicide Prevention Strategy and the
Cross-Government Suicide Prevention Workplan, which were published in January 2019.</ins></p><p><ins
class="ministerial"><strong></strong></ins><br /><br /></p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
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