4. What discussions has the Welsh Government had regarding reducing the escalating problem of excessive gambling? OAQ(5)0688(FM)[W]

While the regulation of gambling is not devolved, we are exploring what more we can do to tackle problematic gambling and the impact it has.

Thank you, First Minister. Although you say that gambling itself isn’t devolved, the impacts certainly are devolved—in health, mental health and the economy—and run into tens of millions of pounds in terms of their impact in Wales annually. There is some devolution happening around the fixed-odds machines, and there will be more demand for the Welsh Government to respond to this challenge. What are you likely to do over the next year or two to ensure that independent research—research that isn’t reliant on the gambling industry itself—is available to you as a Government to ensure that you measure the impact of gambling appropriately and accurately on our communities?

Well, good work is being undertaken by bodies across Wales, but we, of course, see gambling as a problem, and a problem that is related to mental health, because sometimes, of course, people cannot stop because of that. The chief medical officer is leading on work in this area, and of course we look forward to seeing his recommendations later on this year. And, of course, those recommendations will be something that we can build on in order to deal with these problems.

I too would like to see further devolution in respect of responsibility for gambling here to Wales, but we do have some powers already, including powers through the planning system whereby we could take action to prevent the proliferation of licenced betting shops in small communities. We know that there’s a proliferation, particularly in deprived communities, of gambling outlets, and that can be a particular problem. I wonder what action the Welsh Government will consider taking through the planning process to address this issue.

In terms of the planning process, he’s right to identify that there has been a growth, it seems to me, in betting shops over the years. That’s only part of the problem. Online gambling is a major, major issue as well, and if people are gambling online, they’re particularly hard to reach. If I could write to him on the issue of the planning process and how that deals with gambling, well, I will do that, to provide him with a detailed answer.