Baroness Twycross (Lab)

My Lords, this has been an important and interesting debate and I am grateful to all noble Lords for their insightful contributions and for their work over many years. It is clear from today’s discussion that we all share the commitment to protecting the British public from gambling-related harm. The Government want to do that while ensuring that those who want to gamble can continue to do so as safely as possible. I am determined to get this regime right. As outlined, the online slots stake limits are an important and proportionate intervention aimed at people most at risk of gambling-related harm. This is a timely regulation, as online slots games continue, as mentioned earlier, to grow in popularity and gross gambling yield. These limits will bolster existing safer game design requirements to ensure that online slots games are safer to play. Online slots stake limits should serve as a maximum stake that customers should choose to stake up to, rather than as a new default that operators drive customers towards. Operators currently offer stakes from as little as one penny per spin, and we would expect a range of staking options far below the maximum available. To reassure noble Lords, the Secretary of State will review the limits within five years. The statutory levy will be charged to all licensed gambling operators, replacing and building on the current system based on voluntary donations.