UK local government authorities demand more control to block gambling venues
A coalition of 38 local governments is calling for reforms to allow more control over betting shops and slot arcades.
UK.- Some 38 local government authorities in Britain have formed a coalition to call for more powers to block planning applications for betting shops and slot arcades. The group, which counts the mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, among its members, says local planning committees often have no option but to approve applications under current regulations. They want more independence from Westminster to be able to take decisions.
The group has written to Lisa Nandy, secretary at the Department of Culture, Media and Sport, to propose six reforms to the 2005 Gambling Act. Of priority importance, councils want to be able to take into consideration household debt levels when evaluating planning applications for gaming venues.
They also want to be able to prevent what they refer to as a “proliferation of gambling dens” near schools and to reform the ‘aim to permit’ policy to give local authorities the power to reject licence applications that are deemed to be a threat to community welfare.
The group proposes a change in classification under which bingo halls and adult gaming centres would be put in the same category as betting shops.
Meanwhile, councils also want to have the power to prohibit gambling advertising and sponsorship in their jurisdictions, going beyond the rules enforced at the national level by Westminster. London has already sought to do this to an extent. London mayor Sadiq Khan pledged to ban gambling ads across Transport for London (TfL) networks four years ago, but it still hasn’t happened.
Finally, the group is also calling for a review of some technical rules, including of the spin speed and stake limits for B3 gaming machines. Its sixth proposal is the introduction of a statutory levy to fund gambling harm prevention, but this is already coming into effect at the national level this month.
Muhammed Butt, the leader of Brent Council, which is leading the initiative, said: “I am proud that we have joined forces with 38 other councils and combined authorities today, representing over 12 million people up and down the country impacted by outdated legislation on gambling. There’s too much on the line to ignore the harms of betting shops on Britain’s high streets, but our hands are effectively tied by a law no longer fit for purpose.”
Councils’ concerns were also raised during a meeting of the House of Commons Health and Social Care Committee this week, where the Gambling Commission responded to MPs’ questions. The issue was raised by Paulette Hamilton, MP for Birmingham Edmonton, and Heather Wardle, professor of gambling research and policy at the University of Glasgow.
Hamilton said: “The area I’m an MP in, it’s terrible. We have 10 shops on one street that deal with gambling of one of one type or another, the planning just seems to be unable to stop them from opening, and even when planning says no, they appeal higher and seem to get what they want, even with all this evidence.”
Wardle added: “I do believe it is particularly about giving more powers to local authorities and addressing the systemic power imbalances that exist between the local authorities and the gambling industry. It is fundamentally a power imbalance between the local authority and the operator, and the way the legislation is currently framed is not supporting them.”
Operators often argue that shops are in lower-income areas due to lower rents as well as more use of cash, with mobile betting being more popular in more affluent areas. Either way, it’s becoming clear that, along with gambling advertising, the public perception of high-street gaming saturation is an area where the industry needs to protect its image.
