Since the start of 2018, the Gambling Commission has been notified of and investigated reports of eight deaths by suicide where gambling may have been a factor. Seven of these cases were reported to it by the operator and one by family members. Operators who are aware of a death by suicide which may be linked to their gambling facilities are expected to notify the Commission so that the Commission can investigate whether there has been a breach of social responsibility codes and licence conditions and whether enforcement action is appropriate. It does not publish the names of operators which have reported information about deaths, but details of its findings following concluded enforcement action are published on its website.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4503", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Chris Philp"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Croydon South"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Chris Philp"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2021-12-14", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2021-12-14T09:39:24.943Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "10"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Digital, Culture, Media and Sport"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Digital, Culture, Media and Sport"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2021-12-07", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Gambling: Suicide"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, (a) how many customer suicides have been reported by gambling operators for the past three years, (b) which operators have reported these and (c) how many of these suicides have been investigated by the Gambling Commission.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4480", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Carolyn Harris"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Swansea East"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Carolyn Harris"} ], "uin" : "88799"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1238380", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1238380/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
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\u2019s 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> 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> 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> <\/strong><\/ins> <\/p> <\/p> <\/p> <\/p> <\/p> <\/p> <\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4407", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Nigel Huddleston"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Mid Worcestershire"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Nigel Huddleston"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2020-10-01", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "true", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "previousAnswerVersion" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1238380/answer/previousversion/51207", "answeringMember" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4008", "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Gosport"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Caroline Dinenage"}
}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2020-10-01T13:58:33.187Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
], "questionFirstMinisteriallyCorrected" : [{"_value" : "2020-10-02T14:32:38.97Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "10"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Digital, Culture, Media and Sport"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Digital, Culture, Media and Sport"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2020-09-28", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Gambling: Suicide"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the effect of the provisions of the Gambling Act 2005 on (a) levels of gambling-related harm and (b) rates of gambling-related suicide.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4813", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mr Richard Holden"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "North West Durham"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Mr Richard Holden"}
], "uin" : "96210"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1218244", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1218244/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The Gambling Commission\u2019s role is to license and regulate commercial gambling in Great Britain, advising the Government on matters relating to gambling and ensuring that operators abide by strict requirements intended to keep gambling fair and open and crime free and to protect children and vulnerable people.<\/p> <\/strong><\/p> Operators providing gambling facilities to customers in Great Britain must be licensed by the Commission and comply with the conditions of their operating licences. It expects them to obey the laws of all other jurisdictions in which they operate, and requires them to report any regulatory investigation or finding into their activities in any other jurisdiction. They must inform the Commission if they have a substantial customer base outside of Britain and state why they consider they are legally able to offer facilities to those customers.<\/p> <\/strong><\/p> Requiring the Commission to complete, publish and maintain a jurisdiction by jurisdiction legal analysis of a range of combinations of products and supply arrangements would require a significant expenditure of resource in an area which does not relate to its core responsibility to regulate gambling in Great Britain. The Commission considers it is for operators to satisfy themselves that they are acting in a lawful manner in other jurisdictions and if they are found not to be, it will re-assess their suitability to hold a licence to offer gambling services in Britain.<\/p> <\/strong><\/p> The Commission\u2019s list of research, prevention and treatment organisations is intended to give clarity to operators on where they may direct funding to satisfy the licence condition requirement of an annual financial contribution. It requires organisations on the list to demonstrate suitable independent oversight, such as regulation by the Charity Commission, and to make a commitment to collaborate with other bodies in order to prioritise actions to reduce gambling harms.<\/p> <\/strong><\/p> In March 2020 the Commission amended its licence conditions and codes of practice to make it mandatory for operators to be integrated to GAMSTOP, the multi-operator self-exclusion scheme. The charity GambleAware has commissioned the first phase of a study to assess the impact of multi-operator self-exclusion schemes, including those for online gambling. This first phase is nearing publication and we will consider its findings carefully.<\/p> <\/strong><\/p> The Advisory Board for Safer Gambling\u2019s Progress Report on the National Strategy to Reduce Gambling Harms made a number of recommendations on gambling-related suicide, but these are within the remit of bodies other than the Commission. The Government is considering the report carefully.<\/p> <\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4407", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Nigel Huddleston"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Mid Worcestershire"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Nigel Huddleston"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2020-07-06", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "groupedQuestionUIN" : [{"_value" : "65168"}
, {"_value" : "65169"}
, {"_value" : "65170"}
, {"_value" : "65171"}
, {"_value" : "65172"}
, {"_value" : "65173"}
], "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2020-07-06T17:16:35.897Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
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, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "10"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Digital, Culture, Media and Sport"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Digital, Culture, Media and Sport"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2020-06-26", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Gambling: Suicide"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the Advisory Board for Safer Gambling report, Progress Report on the National Strategy to Reduce Gambling Harms, published on 26 June 2020, what steps he is taking to ensure that the Gambling Commission makes progress on tackling gambling related suicide.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4480", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Carolyn Harris"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Swansea East"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Carolyn Harris"}
], "uin" : "65167"}
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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>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>