UK gambling: London council calls for change in law after approval of new gaming hall

Media have dubbed Harlesden the “Las Vegas of Britain” because of its gambling venues.

UK.- Brent Council in north London has urged the UK government to change gambling legislation and ban gambling advertising after its own planning committee felt forced into approving a new adult gaming hall in Harlesden. The area has been dubbed the “Las Vegas of Britain” by the press because it has seven gambling venues within 600 metres.

While it was Brent Council’s own Planning Committee that approved the latest application for a gambling venue by Silvertime Amusements, it says it did so because it believed the gambling operator would be likely to win an appeal against a rejection. That’s because the application complied with local and national guidelines.

The council had rejected two previous applications for the same site on the grounds that there were already the maximum number of businesses in that category in the area. However, that changed due to the closure of a pawnbroker.

Now members of Brent Council have written to the new culture secretary, Lisa Nandy, to call for the government to consider reforming national laws. They want the government to give councils more power to reject applications that “threaten the community’s welfare and safety” and to consider household debt levels when ruling on applications. They also want a ban on gambling advertising.

Harlesden will now have seven gambling venues, but they are of different types: there are four bookmakers: two Ladbrokes, one William Hill and one Paddy Power, along with two existing adult gaming centres run by Silvertime Amusements, which will also run the new site.

The Deputy leader of Brent Council Mili Patel said: “Just a stone’s throw away from Harlesden High Street is a homeless shelter, and Harlesden itself is an area that faces a variety of economic, public health, and community safety challenges. It’s time for urgent action to protect our most vulnerable residents.”

Ward councillors for Harlesden and Kensal Green, Matt Kelcher and Jumbo Chan, said in a joint statement: “The communities we serve are experiencing firsthand the detrimental effects of unchecked gambling proliferation, and we must be empowered to act decisively to protect them.”