URGENT ACTION: Writing to Peers about children and gambling

The Gambling Bill allows 8 year olds to gamble unaccompanied on certain types of fruit machine.

82% of the population thinks that this is wrong.

Fruit machines are one of the most addictive forms of gambling. Yet Britain is the only western country which allows children to gamble on certain types of them.

Problem gambling amongst children results in truancy, disrupted family relationships, debt and criminal behaviour. Research has shown that as many as 1 in 20 children are problem gamblers – this rate is around 5 times higher than for adults.

The Methodist Church, the Salvation Army and the children’s charity NCH believe that Parliament has a duty to protect children. Yet the Gambling Bill will not stop children gambling.

The Gambling Bill will begin its committee stage in the House of Lords on Thursday 10 March. Baroness Thornton hopes to amend the Bill to ban children from taking part in commercial gambling. We want as many Peers as possible to support her.

However many Peers are still unaware that the Gambling Bill allows children to gamble. Please write to one or more of the Peers on the list over page asking them to support Baroness Thornton’s amendment.

Your letter can be very brief, and should be in your own words. Explain to the Peer why you care about this issue, and what you want them to do. You could make some of the following points in your letter:

  1. State that you believe that children and gambling don’t mix.
  1. Point out that Britain is the only western country which allows children to gamble. The only restriction on whether a child is allowed to gamble on a so-called Category D fruit machine is whether they are tall enough to put the money in the slot.
  1. Emphasise that gambling is extremely damaging for a significant minority of children. You can find out more about the impact of gambling on children and young people here [link to briefing and to Mark’s testimony] If you can, talk from personal experience
  1. Ask the Peer to use the opportunity of the Gambling Bill to ensure that Parliament protects children from commercial gambling, and vote or speak in support of Baroness Thornton’s amendment to clause 45 of the Gambling Bill (Part 4 – Protection of Children and Young Persons)
  1. It would be helpful if you could a copy of your letter – and any replies you receive - to Rachel Lampard at Methodist Church House, 25 Marylebone Rd, London NW1 5JR or

Thank you. Time is running out to provide children with the protection they need. Please turn over for a list of Peers.

Writing to Peers

If you have time please write to 3 Peers – choosing at random one from Group A and two from Group B. We hope that each peer will receive several letters.

Please address women as Dear Lady X and men as Dear Lord X. Letters should be sent to: The House of Lords, Westminster, London SW1A 0PW.

Group A (party spokespeople)

1. Lord McNally (Liberal Democrat)

2. Lord Clement-Jones (Liberal Democrat)

3. Baroness Buscombe (Conservative)

4. Lord Strathclyde (Conservative)

5. Lord McIntosh of Haringey (Labour)

Group B (interested peers)

1. LordAdebowale

2. LordAlderdice

3. LordAltonof Liverpool

4. Rt. Hon the LordArcherof Sandwell, QC

5. Rt. Hon the LordAshleyof Stoke, CH

6. LordBhatia,OBE

7. BaronessBlood,MBE

8. Rt. Hon the BaronessBoothyroyd

9. The Rt Hon LordBrookeof Sutton Mandeville

10. BaronessBuscombe

11. LordCorbettof Castle Vale

12. BaronessDavid

13. LordDaviesof Coity, OBE

14. Lord Donoughue

15. EarlDundee

16. LordElton

17. LordFalkland

18. LordFaulknerof Worcester

19. BaronessGale

20. BaronessGibsonof Market Rasen

21. BaronessGolding

22. LordGordonof Strathblane

23. BaronessGoudie

24. BaronessGouldof Potternewton

25. LordGriffithsof Bury Port

26. LordHarrison

27. BaronessHooper

28. BaronessHowarthof Breckland

  1. BaronessHowe of Idlicote

30. LordHowellof Guildford

31. LordJones

32. LordJopling

33. EarlListowel

34. BaronessMaddock

35. LordMancroft

36. EarlMar and Kellie

37. BaronessMasseyof Darwen

38. BaronessMillerof Chilthorne Domer

39. LordMorgan

40. BaronessNicholsonof Winterbourne

41. LordOakeshottof Seagrove Bay

42. LordPendry

43. BaronessPerryof Southwark

44. LordPhillipsof Sudbury

45. LordPilkingtonof Oxenford

46. BaronessPitkeathley,OBE

47. LordRandallof St Budeaux

48. Rt. Hon the LordRobertsof Llandudno

49. LordRobertsof Conwy

50. LadySaltounof Abernethy

51. LordSteelof Aikwood

52. LordStoneof Black Heath

53. BaronessStrange

54. LordWadeof Chorlton

55. LordWallaceof Saltaire

56. BaronessWalmsley

57. Lord Walpole