3. What discussions has the Counsel General held regarding the implementation timetable for the Wales Act 2017? (OAQ51144)

The main provisions of the Wales Act 2017, including those introducing the reserved-powers model, are expected to come into force on 1 April 2018.

Thank you, Counsel General. On 1 April, powers in respect of fixed-odds betting terminals will be devolved to the Assembly. Members here will be aware of the growing concerns over problem gambling. Can the Counsel General comment on how these powers might help tackle this growing social issue?

Well, what I can do is certainly do an analysis of what the legislation actually says, because the Wales Act provides Welsh Ministers and the Assembly with limited new powers in relation to the licensing of fixed-odds betting terminals. But, of course, those powers only relate to gaming machines, which will allow stakes of £10 or more.

There are a few more things perhaps it’s worth saying specifically on that, and it’s also worth commenting that some powers have already been transferred to the Assembly generally under the Wales Act, and, of course, there are many more that will now be transferred, as of 1 April. But specifically with regard to the fixed-odds betting terminals, the Wales Act—what it does is provide Welsh Ministers and the Assembly with limited new powers in relation to fixed-odds gaming machines, equivalent, though, to the powers provided to Scotland via the Scotland Act 2016. Fixed-odds betting machines are a category B2 of gaming machines. They’re largely located in bookmakers, but they do allow customers to stake up to £100 every 20 seconds on electronic versions of the machines. The new powers relate to premises that hold a betting premises licence, under the Gambling Act 2005. They will enable the Welsh Ministers, via regulations, and the Assembly, via an Assembly Act, to vary the number of gaming machines of a certain type, authorised under such a licence. This would include reducing the number of authorised machines to zero.