London Borough To Revise Betting Shop Policy After Resident Outcry

Barking and Dagenham Council are reportedly working on introducing a tougher set of rules governing gambling premises licenses. The harder line taken came as a direct result of an online consultation, where residents raised their concerns about the number of betting shops opening across the borough.

It is thought Barking and Dagenham Council is turning to a strategy focused on “preventing harm and improving public health”. Moreover, the Council’s draft licensing documentation has shone a light on Barking town centre, which they purport is experiencing “high levels of deprivation”, and is deemed one of London’s poorest boroughs.

Residents vent their fury

Official council figures have shown Barking and Dagenham has a high density of land-based betting venues (42). This consists of Adult Gaming Centres (AGCs), betting shops, and bingo halls, and of these establishments, 11 are dotted around Barking town centre. And in an online consultation, 14 residents lodged official responses, expressing their fury over the suggested policy amendments.

One resident deplored the saturation of betting venues, as they said: “Barking is one of the poorest boroughs in London, one of the most deprived boroughs, one of the boroughs that claims the most benefits, yet everywhere you go in Barking, you see gambling stores.

“You can’t go 100 metres without coming across a gambling shop, and it’s all being placed there because they know Barking is one of the poorest boroughs.”

Other respondents implored the council to stop granting new licenses or even shut existing venues. And under the new drafted policy, applicants seeking gambling premises licenses will have to demonstrate they can mitigate any local risks flagged.

BGC push back against proposal

There has already been some pushback on the proposal. The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) maintained that betting shops play a vital role in shaping local economies. They have continually championed the cause for retail gambling premises, noting how they support 42,000 jobs on UK high streets, and contribute £800 million a year in tax to the Treasury.

Law firm Gosschalks, who are acting on behalf of the industry body, mentioned in their response to the council proposals that the “overwhelming majority” of customers who gamble do so in a way that is “perfectly safe and responsible”.

Betting under the microscope

Recently, the knives have been sharpened for retail betting. Last month, the UK Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, outlined his vision to clear up Britain’s high streets, placing betting venues in the same undesirable category as vaping shops.

Burnham, it is thought, is exploring discarding the ‘aim to permit’ procedure, so as to empower councils to prohibit the opening of more gambling venues across the country. Moreover, the assault on the retail betting industry has been used as a ploy to support his measures to cut business rates for pubs and live music venues.

What will happen next?

In recent years, local authorities across London have increasingly embraced Local Area Risk Assessments (LARAs) as a way of helping them map out crime stats and public health concerns. The adoption of a new harm-prevention, public-health- focused gambling policy is seen as a concerted step by Barking and Dagenham Council to get a grip on preventing the widespread opening of premises.

In terms of the next steps, the Licensing and Regulatory Committee will consider the draft policy on Thursday. If the policy is approved, Barking and Dagenham Council may well view this as a significant step to appeasing key stakeholders.