A growing wave of concern over the saturation of high-street betting shops and slot arcades is prompting calls for change. A group of 38 local councils in the UK, who together represent over 12 million people, are now calling for increased power to regulate the growth of gambling establishments in their respective regions.
Under the leadership of Brent Council and with the support of prominent individuals such as Andy Burnham, mayor of Greater Manchester, the group is pressing Westminster to amend provisions of the Gambling Act of 2005. Their goal? To give local planning authorities more power to either reject or limit gambling businesses that they think are bad for society.
The group formally proposed six reforms to Culture, Media, and Sport Secretary Lisa Nandy in a letter. First and foremost, when evaluating proposals for additional gambling establishments, municipalities should be able to take family debt levels into account. The present legislative framework often forces councils to accept applications despite community opposition, so this would be a significant change.
Having so many betting shops and adult gaming centers so close to schools is also quite concerning. Local councils would be able to prevent the “proliferation of gambling dens” in vulnerable communities, according to the coalition’s proposed new rules. Also, to make regulation more uniform among gambling venues, they’ve suggested combining planning categories for betting shops, adult gaming centers, and bingo halls.
Furthermore, the local governments are requesting the authority to outlaw gambling-related advertisements and sponsorships inside their jurisdictions. This follows a long-standing commitment by London Mayor Sadiq Khan to do away with such content on the TfL network, which has yet to be completely materialized.
Balance and Accountability
Aside from issues with advertising and planning, the organization is calling for a reevaluation of machine laws, such as those on spin speeds and stake limitations on B3 terminals, and for local participation in the implementation of the new statutory tax to minimize gambling damage. According to municipalities, local opinions are still not being considered when important choices are being made, even though that national levy is already underway.
This drive coincides with a period when national regulators are also under pressure. Experts and members of parliament alike recently emphasized the necessity of better local government at a committee hearing in the House of Commons. The system is heavily skewed in favor of the gambling business, according to University of Glasgow Professor Heather Wardle, who called it a “fundamental power imbalance” between municipalities and operators.
