UK gaming sector: Blackpool announces four-year strategy amid concerns over gambling harm
The coastal town famous for its amusement arcades has announced a new strategy following a critical report.
UK.- Blackpool Council has announced a four-year Gambling-Related Harm Strategy following a report that raised concerns about problem gambling in the North West costal town, which is famous for its amusement arcades.
Public health practitioner Helen Cook presented the strategy at a meeting of the town’s Health and Wellbeing Board. She said it was important to make people aware of the potential of gambling harm.
She said: “It can affect people from all walks of life. I have spoken to footballers who have been successful but lost all their money, and people who are unemployed who have lost all their money. For some people, gambling can destroy their lives.”
The announcement comes after a report identified a 28 per cent increase in the number of under 22s seeking help from Citizens Advice in Blackpool in relation to gambling-related harm in 2022. The figure for gambling-related harm in all adults doubled between 2019 and 2022.
Citizens Advice estimated that a quarter of all clients that sought debt advice cited gambling as the reason for financial difficulties.
The report stated: “Those in recovery in Blackpool who spoke about their experiences described gambling as something that they could abstain from for a few weeks, but would easily fall back into the compulsion to place another bet, convincing themselves that it would be just one more go, ending with feeling of guilt, shame and anxiety.”
Current support options in the town include gambling support workers on The Lived Experience Team at the Empowerment charity and online group and individual support from Beacon Counselling Trust, which is commissioned through GambleAware.
Updated gambling policies
Meanwhile, two other UK local government authorities have updated their gambling policies. Shropshire Council and Knowsley’s Council‘s new policies will run until 2028.
Shropshire Council’s new gambling policy sets out how children and vulnerable adults must be protected from gambling. It also sets out criteria for bingo halls, betting shops, prize gaming and small society lotteries.
The council says that the policy means it would be unlikely to grant applications for gambling premises near schools or hostel accommodation. It could also demand minimum staffing levels at betting shops to prevent children and vulnerable adults from accessing products.
Meanwhile, Knowsley’s cabinet has endorsed a new gambling policy that includes measures to identify potential hot spot areas for gambling harm. The updated policy will enable residents and applicants to judge the impact proposed establishments may have on a specific area, the council said.
The Gambling Heat Map is intended to help identify locations in the borough where gambling could be problematic. The idea is that this will allow special attention to be paid to these areas to ensure gambling premises comply with legislation and address any increased risks. Resources to help people with gambling problems will also be directed to these areas.
