Scottish betting shops under stricter controls

Authorities believe that it would help decrease the impact they have.

Scotland.- Kevin Stewart, Scotland’s planning minister, announced that betting shops in the country will go through stricter controls. He said that this measurement helps prevent the “negative impact” that the shops currently have on town centres.

“Increased controls on new pay-day lending businesses will help prevent more people being driven into poverty, and give planning authorities more control over ensuring our town centres are attractive places for people to live, work and visit,” said Stewart. With the new rules, anyone who is interested in changing an existent building into a betting shop will need to ask permission to their local planning authority.

Back in October, the Scottish National Party (SNP) and the Glasgow Southside Constituency Association held a conference where they debated the clampdown on betting shops ditched in February last year. The project was proposed to reinforce the prohibition against bookmakers to install further betting shops.