PROBLEM ONLINE GAMBLING: LORDS TO DEBATE GOVERNMENT ACTION NEEDED TO SUPPORT THOSE AT RISK
Members of the House of Lords will tomorrow debate the challenges facing problem online gamblers and how the Government intends to help those most likely to be affected.
The debate, which will be opened by Lord Browne of Belmont, will be held in the House of Lords on Thursday 23 November some time after 11:30am. Lord Ashton of Hyde, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport will respond on behalf of the Government.
Amongst those listed to speak are Shadow Spokesperson for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Lord Griffiths of Burry Port, and former Parliamentary Under-Secretary for the Department for Communities and Local Government Lord Foster of Bath.
Speaking ahead of the debate, Lord Browne of Belmont said:
âThe latest problem gambling prevalence figures published by the Gambling Commission show that the highest prevalence of at-risk problem gambling is now related to the online sector. Since the last time there was a focused parliamentary debate on online gambling very little has changed to help problem gamblers and we have seen the tragic suicides of an 18 year old and 23 year old because of online gambling debts.
âIt is now vitally important that multi-operator self-exclusion is introduced as quickly and as robustly as possible. We also need to look at other mechanisms to help problem gamblers like prohibiting transactions between people in the UK and online gambling sites between midnight and 6am when much of the most problematic play takes place.
âAs the Gambling Commission Strategy published last week demonstrates, public trust in gambling is falling away quickly, dropping from 49% who felt the industry could be trusted in 2008 to just 34% today. The Government now needs to take a much more active regulatory role to keep its citizens safe.â
Other Members scheduled to speak include:
Lord Alton of Liverpool
Baroness Benjamin
Lord Chadlington
Baroness Howe of Idlicote
Baroness Masham of Ilton
Baroness Richardson of Calow
Lord Wigley
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