§ Mr. Stephen TwiggTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will announce the outcome of the triennial review of gaming machine stake and prize limits. [51017]
§ Mr. George HowarthThe Gaming Board have reviewed machine stake and prize limits and made recommendations to the Home Office.
We have accepted their recommendations. I intend to make the necessary statutory instruments to come into force on 1 October.
The following maximum stake and prize limits will apply:
the all-cash amusement-with-prizes (AWP) machine prize will be increased from £10 to £15;the prizes for the cash/token AWP machines will be left unchanged at £5 for the cash and £8 for the non monetary prizes;the prizes for jackpot machines will be increased from £250 to £500 in bingo clubs and £1,000 in casinos; and left unchanged at £250 in members clubs; andthe 30p stake for AWP machines will be left unchanged and that for jackpot machines will be increased to 50p.The Gaming Board's main underlying thinking, which we endorse, is to: keep machines to which children are allowed access at low prize levels; work with the industry to prevent children gaining access to all-cash machines, with the prospect of a more liberal future regime if that can be achieved; and recognise that higher prizes are appropriate in gambling clubs.
I have placed in the Library the Gaming Board's report of their review, which explains in detail the consultation with interested organisations and their conclusions.