DCMS committee to examine links between gaming and gambling
Inquiry will also consider greater regulation of esports and potentially addictive technologies
A UK government inquiry will look into so-called immersive and addictive technologies, with a view to examining their impact on young people, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has confirmed.
Submissions are requested from all industry stakeholders, but a key part of the inquiry will focus on the links between video gaming and gambling and whether in-game spending requires stronger monitoring and regulation.
The increasing issue of digital and gaming addiction will also form a large part of the committee’s deliberations.
In September, the Gambling Commission joined sixteen other international regulators in signing a declaration to examine the links between in-game spending, loot boxes and gambling.
The DCMS inquiry will also discuss the future of esports in the UK, examining whether further regulation is needed and how to strengthen links between traditional sports and esports associations.
Damian Collins, chair of the DCMS Committee, said it had heard repeated concerns about the impact of increased online usage and the potentially addictive nature of social media and gaming.
“We want to explore these concerns during this inquiry and consider what the right response should be in setting public policy for the future” said Collins.
According to recent figures compiled by the government, spending on gaming in the UK hit a record £5.11bn in 2017, up 12.4% on the previous year, and as part of its mandate the committee will discuss the action required to ensure the UK’s continued success in the gaming sector.
Finally, as part of the government’s recent pledge to make the UK ‘the safest place to be online and the best place to start and grow a digital business’, the DCMS committee will look at how UK data infrastructure needs to grow to encompass new virtual and augmented reality technologies.