Agenda item

Report of the Director of Public Protection and Licensing.

5.1       Mr Simpkin introduced the item.  He gave an update to the Committee regarding the DCMS Consultation on proposals for changes to gaming machines and social responsibility measures under the Gambling Act 2005. This had been considered at the November 2017 meeting.  The Council’s formal response had been submitted in January 2018 and had included that the maximum stake for Fixed Betting Odds Terminals (‘FOBT’) should be £2.  The Gambling Commission had recommended to the DCMS on 19 March 2018 that the maximum stake should be limited to £2 for FOBT (B2) slots stakes where there was a higher rate of problem gambling associated with them than non-slot games, a more limited return and a higher spend.  The Gambling Commission had also recommended that the maximum stake should be set at or below £30 for FOBT (B2) non-slot games (which includes roulette) should they have a significant effect on the potential for players to lose large amounts of money in a short space of time.  Mr Simpkin commented that many of the recommendations made by the Gambling Commission in response to the DCMS’ review aligned with what had been proposed in the Council’s response, including in respect of online gambling and advertising.

5.2       Mr Simpkin said that the Licensing Service had been working on the updated gambling policy review approach for the last three years.  A complete shift was being proposed away from the existing policy to one where all premises based gambling operators must undertake local gambling risk assessments.  The new policy would be much more localised, would identify the key areas of concern and would highlight the Council’s approach to gambling and what the expectations are.  The public consultation for the gambling policy was scheduled over a twelve week period between June and September 2018.  It was expected that there would be quite a lot of communication from the gambling industry as there was a significant change to the policy from previously.  

5.3       Councillor Scarborough welcomed the clustering policy which would require operators to have heightened measures in place to identify and support those who may be at risk or who are problem gamblers.  Councillor Caplan expressed concerns that if the Gambling Commission’s recommendations were accepted, there was still the potential for large stake betting machines in the high street, including B3 machines, to have an appalling and devastating effect on those vulnerable to gambling addiction.  He recommended that the Council lobbied strongly against large stake betting machines.  Councillor Acton made the point that currently no Public Health money was allocated to address addiction to gambling.  Mr Simpkin advised that the Licensing Service was working with GamCare, the national counselling service, to support local residents in Westminster.  Space was given in Council buildings to GamCare to provide counselling.  Ms Sutton informed the Committee that she would be meeting with Public Health representatives in the next two weeks and would take forward this matter with them.   

5.4       Councillor Mitchell stated that representatives of the Chinese community in the Chinatown area would be interested in being involved in any consultations on the gambling policy.  He expressed the view that it would be more appropriate to include Edgware North and Church Street as a cluster of gambling premises rather than Queensway North and Church Street which were more distant from each other.  Members of the Committee, including Councillor Mitchell, welcomed the twelve week length of the consultation period which give stakeholders, including residents, the opportunity to comment either before or after the summer holiday period. 

5.5       RESOLVED: That the contents of the report be noted.